Communication stage and imaging systems

ABSTRACT

Enterprise communication display systems enable life-like images for videoconferencing and entertainment productions. Life-like images appear in a 3D environment where imaged people are visible through the use of specially configured see-through displays. Imaged people can also be viewed amongst a reflected foreground. A dual mode large high-resolution display is inventively configured for watching and working. Methods for enterprise wide deployments for corporate, healthcare, education, and government communications, including hotel properties and a property management system are shown. The invention further discloses an online production system for events. Further, a black void illusion is described and is applicable to numerous displays including event and live theater stages and movie theaters. Numerous inventive features are described enabling and advancing the black void illusion. Virtual stage lighting is disclosed for simulating stage lights and coordination of virtual stage lights with real stage lights for live and recorded performances.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser.No. 16/371,656, which is a continuation-in-part of patent applicationSer. No. 15/891,912 filed Feb. 8, 2018, which granted as U.S. Pat. No.10,298,877 on May 21, 2019, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/593,711 filed May 12, 2017, which grantedas U.S. Pat. No. 9,930,290 on Mar. 27, 2018, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/497,228filed Sep. 25, 2014, which granted as U.S. Pat. No. 9,819,907 on Nov.14, 2017.

U.S. GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Not Applicable

TECHNICAL FIELD Area of the Art

The present disclosure relates generally to communication andentertainment display devices that are see-through and with 3D settings,and specifically videoconferencing display devices applicable topersonal computing, group collaboration, and the theatrical stage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Videoconferencing is now an application on personal computing devicesfor over a billion people. The experience enables audio and videocommunication, but still lacks the sense of being with the person in thesame physical space. The experience is further frustrated by a completenegation of simulating the way people communicate in the same room andin person. The parallax problem still frustrates most allvideoconferencing from small handheld phones to large multi-screentelepresence rooms. That problem is a camera mounted away from theconferee's eyes on the screen so people appear to be looking away ratherthan at the people they intend to converse with. Though numeroustechnologies have been proposed to resolve this problem the art of usingbeamsplitters remains the most commercially viable way to align thecamera with people's eyes on screen and maintain perfect display imagequality and perfect camera image capturing. Numerous advances inreducing the appearance in size of these systems and improving useracceptance is an area of significant research and invention. Further,improved ways to increase the eye contact between conferees in retrofitcamera systems and with a variety of display systems is a primaryembodiment of the present invention. The present invention disclosesnumerous ways to improve eye contact with specialized micro-cameraimagers and lenses and unique housing configurations.

Another area of great interest is improving the realism of conferencingby freeing the imaged people from the confines of a display frame.Simply when conversing with someone in person they do not have a TV boxaround them. The display frame is a major distracter while conferencingand this draws a person's attention to a constant awareness that theyare conversing with a person on a TV or computer screen and notin-person. The Pepper's Ghost Illusion combined with videoconferencinghas greatly resolved this problem. Yet, numerous advances are needed tomake this optical configuration practical for group communication. Suchadvances are the subject of this invention to enable specific builtenvironments concealing the optical, display, and other variouscomponents. Further, to enable effective videoconferencing lighting inthese highly light sensitive environments is disclosed.

Direct see-through display technologies are now prevalent. The mostwell-known are projection screens that are see-through. While thesescreens have the ability to display a person in the physical room theyare rendered nearly useless in corporate communications. This is due tothe distraction of a residual projection beam that passes through thescreen and illuminates portions of the meeting room environment, such asa table or ceiling. What is seen are two versions of the same image withone on the screen and the other dispersed in the meeting roomenvironment. The present invention resolves these residual image issuesby concealing these residual images from the direct view of the localparticipants. Still further, the present invention teaches how toconceal the projector lens seen through the screen. Another directsee-through display technology is LCD panels with the backlight removed.What is left are dull images of videoconferencing participants, yet thephysical environment of the room can be seen behind them aiding inconference realism. The present invention teaches novel ways todramatically improve the brightness of these see-through displays whenused for videoconferencing. Further, an inventive method to providemoving shadows behind these direct see-through displays and the Pepper'sGhost optical arrangement is taught.

While holographic effects for the stage have become more common, thetechnology of inclined foil, plastic, and glass that creates theseeffects have limited many potential applications. An inclined optic forreflecting a physical room or an image display hidden from the audienceview is well known in the art. Unfortunately, the inclined optic hasproven to be a great hindrance to the technology's adoption. Theinclined optic, often stretched polyester film, is very delicate and cantake days to set-up in venue. The inclined optic also takes up atremendous amount of space on stage, as well as a display laid on thestage floor. The present invention resolves all these insurmountableissues of the prior art with a unique ultra-compact staging hologramappearing solution. The present invention teaches the removal of theinclined optic and instead allows a vertical optic to reflect anilluminated foreground to create the illusion of stage objects and setbehind a motion image. Further, videoconferencing applications aredisclosed uniquely integrated into this stage optical configuration, aswell as physical mid-ground props. Further, the stage solution is, inone embodiment, permanently attached to the room and expands andretracts as needed for quick set-up. Also, the same configuration isdisclosed in small systems that provide life-size people in kiosks, aswell as built into conference meeting rooms.

Image mapping has become well known for applications of making buildingscome to life with amazing animation effects. The use of multipleprojectors with mapping software to fit content onto physical objects isa carefully orchestrated projected effect. Using a grouping of imagedmapped projectors the present invention combines videoconferencing witha 3D projected physical set with life-size people among the projectedset. The same can apply to recorded presentations creating the effect ofa proportional correct human amongst a projected physical object set andboth the human and the set are produced by the same imaged mappedprojectors. Beyond the theater the invention has been applied tocorporate group conferencing rooms where a grouping of imaged mappedprojectors create the meeting room environment and the imagedvideoconferencing participants.

Another primary embodiment of the present invention is to deploy displayand communication technologies of the present invention in an enterpriseof like units where many sites can all enjoy the same experience.Attention to display size, life-size people and distance to display areall critical when configuring displays for enterprise wide deployment.The present invention is applicable to corporate enterprises, but alsoin detail reveals the unique challenges deploying in a hotel enterprise.Unique enterprise wide hotel solutions are taught including smart doorswhere both sides of the hotel room door becomes a vital guestcommunication, security, and application portal. Also, guests areprovided displays designed for the wrist and worn like bracelets, yetcan unfold as a mobile phone or tablet. Further, see-through receptiondesks are disclosed where hotel staff can interact with guestsvirtually. Lastly, the present invention expands the use of a hotelproperty management system to interoperate with and manage thefunctional uses of the present invention displays and displayapplication embodiments disclosed herein.

The present invention allows the aforementioned ultra-compact staginghologram device that is permanent in a hotel multi-purpose room, andenables the device to be moved without being disassembled in that room.The costs of setting up and tearing down large event audio/visualequipment are often insurmountable in costs. The present inventionprovides a concealed staging system, with a massive image display,retracted and hidden in the hotel multi-purpose room. Now clients cansave enormously on the costs for setting up and tearing down theseevents because the audio/visual technology already exists in the hotelmulti-purpose room. Further, the present moveable feature enables thehotel facility to place the device in any configuration in amulti-purpose room with and without room dividers.

Other embodiments of the present invention to further improve the largevenue stage experience is overcoming the insurmountable costs of largeevent productions since creative agencies are involved in creatingcustom video content. The present invention teaches a new process tobypass a great deal of the custom content used for large scale videoevents by providing a client accessible online production program wherethe client can select from templates and a content library impressiveshow elements and fully conceptualize the show from their personalcomputing device. Further, a remote production staff at variouslocations joins the live show event as extended staff by a collaborationconnection and is being able to control all or portions of the eventshow control system. Also, uniquely described is a temporary studiosoundstage using a hotel multi-purpose room where the talent and theproducers can see in real-time the production on the final format eventdisplay system already located in the multi-purpose room.

A further embodiment of the present invention provides consumers,including professionals, a flexible camera housing system where they cancreate their own camera housing. Cameras components are becomingincreasingly miniaturized and the consumer is still limited to theapplications of housing the major camera manufacturer provides. Thislimits numerous potential applications of how a small camera can be usedby a consumer. The present invention enables a consumer the ability toaccess on their personal computing device a library online or downloadedof numerous camera housing 3D models. These models may be 3D printed ormodified and the consumer can create their own housings. The consumerthen, with a small camera component kit, integrate that kit into the 3Dprinted camera housing.

The invention further discloses applications for large immersive ultraHD displays as used in numerous leisure and working environments. Thesenew displays permit such high resolution that computer images may beresized to small portion of the screen while the user is immersed closeup to the large display. Numerous room configurations, furnitureconfigurations, and a unique device to manipulate multiple video sourceson a single ultra HD image are disclosed, all of which enables entirenew ways of watching large immersive displays in working modes close upand watching modes further away.

The invention further discloses novel marketing, speaker, and campaignsystem that enables mobile vehicles to set-up holographic events quicklyand with a minimum crew at temporary events and present a live“holographed” person from a distant location. The prior art of inclinedoptics to create a reflected hologram has proven to be costly, tooinvolved to set-up quickly, dim and dull in appearance, and too bulky toprovide such mobile campaigns requiring rapid deployment at temporaryevents. The present invention discloses a unique process and device toovercome the substantial prior art limitations using mobile vehicles anda holographic podium with direct projection.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The included drawings are for illustrative purposes and serve only toprovide examples of possible structures and process steps for thedisclosed inventive apparatuses, systems, and methods. These drawings inno way limit any changes in form and detail that may be made toembodiments by one skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art diagram of a hotel ballroom with atemporary audio/visual presentation set-up.

FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art diagram of a hotel ballroom with atemporary set-up of an inclined optic Pepper's Ghost illusion.

FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art diagram of a hotel ballroom with areflected room depth illusion using an inclined optic.

FIG. 4A illustrates a side cut away view of the present stage inventionin a hotel ballroom fully retracted and concealed and reveal the décorof the room.

FIG. 4B illustrates a front view of the present stage invention in ahotel ballroom fully retracted with a matching décor concealment.

FIG. 5 illustrates the present stage invention in a hotel ballroom fullyexpanded and operating with a live person on stage and enabling livepeople on screen amongst a reflected foreground behind them.

FIG. 6 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded withilluminated 3D foreground props reflected to form a background.

FIG. 7 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded withforeground drapes, emissive display, surrounding black, and sectionalvertical foreground reflector.

FIG. 8 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded withforeground roll-up panels, emissive display, surrounding black, andsectional vertical foreground reflector.

FIG. 9 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded with acontinuous vertical foreground reflector and the emissive displayproducing a life-size person, 3D objects, and a magnification screen(foreground not shown).

FIG. 10 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded and theroom floor serving as the stage area.

FIG. 11 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded where theemissive display starts near floor level and the stage is placed infront of the emissive display.

FIG. 12 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded with thevertical foreground reflector rolled up and out of view of the audience.

FIG. 13 illustrates the present stage invention fully retracted,concealed in the room, and with mechanical mechanism detail.

FIG. 14 illustrates the present stage invention of FIG. 13 fullyexpanded and with mechanical mechanism detail.

FIG. 15 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded andrevealing an audience members' scope of view of the foreground,mid-ground objects, screen, and reflected foreground background.

FIG. 16 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded with afront projection system and the reflected foreground using foregroundprops.

FIG. 17 illustrates the present stage invention with an emissive displaynear floor height and a concealing drop panel hiding the massive displayin a hotel ballroom.

FIG. 18 illustrates the present stage invention of FIG. 17 with areflected foreground staging kit that is assembled in front of theemissive display.

FIG. 19 illustrates the present stage invention with 3D projectionaligning video conferenced people on stage and amongst foreground props.

FIG. 20 illustrates the present stage invention content production anddistribution to various size displays and maintaining life-sizeproportionality both in live and recorded playback modes of use.

FIG. 21 illustrates the present stage invention utilizing multiple rearprojectors.

FIG. 22 illustrates the present stage invention with both a live personon stage interacting with an imaged person on the screen of the emissivedisplay.

FIG. 23 illustrates the present stage invention with a basicdiagrammatic layout of a live telepresence production.

FIG. 24 illustrates the present invention with a polarized lightreduction system.

FIG. 25 illustrates the present invention configured for corporatecommunications in a meeting room with a reflected foreground behind theimaged conference participants.

FIG. 26 illustrates the present invention with a life-size person kioskdisplay with a reflected foreground consisting of high intensity lightbars in the foreground.

FIG. 27 illustrates the present invention with a high intensity lightbar construction.

FIG. 28 illustrates the present stage invention fully expanded with aconferenced person imaged on the screen in the mid-ground and reflectedforeground objects in the background.

FIG. 29 illustrates the present invention utilizing a glass verticalreflector.

FIG. 30 illustrates the present invention utilizing a rigid plasticvertical reflector.

FIG. 31 illustrates the present invention utilizing a sectional verticalreflector.

FIG. 32 illustrates the present invention utilizing a gradient verticalreflector.

FIG. 33 illustrates the present invention utilizing multiple layers ofreflective optics to increase brightness.

FIG. 34 illustrates the present invention with a weighted thin filmplastic used for a vertical reflector.

FIG. 35 illustrates the present invention with a stretched frameretaining a thin film plastic used for a vertical reflector.

FIG. 36 illustrates the present invention with a stretching method for athin film plastic used for a vertical reflector.

FIG. 37 illustrates a prior art multi-screen conference system with acamera aimed through a rear projection screen hole.

FIG. 38 illustrates a prior art camera box blocking a substantial partof the screen.

FIG. 39 illustrates a prior art large hanging camera intruding on thescreen.

FIG. 40 illustrates the present invention with a screw mount lens.

FIG. 41 illustrates the present invention with a modified rectangularsensor board enabling a micro stem camera assembly.

FIG. 42 illustrates the present invention with a transparent wiresystem.

FIG. 43 illustrates the present invention with a micro head and separateimage processing electronics board.

FIG. 44 illustrates the present invention as a final assembly of a microstem camera.

FIG. 45 illustrates the present invention isolating images from a megapixel imager and not using distorted lens portions.

FIG. 46 illustrates the present invention of a megapixel sensorconfigured for capturing and image processing numerous video signals foroutput.

FIG. 47 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem cameraconcealed as a table top gooseneck microphone.

FIG. 48 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem cameraretractable into a working surface.

FIG. 49 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem cameradetachable from a working surface.

FIG. 50 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem camera on astand.

FIG. 51 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem cameraadjustable for various proportions of images of people on screen.

FIG. 52 illustrates the present invention with a flip micro stem camerahinge to move the camera out of view of the display screen.

FIG. 53 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem camera usedwith a two conference display configuration.

FIG. 54 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem camera usedwith a three conference display configuration

FIG. 55 illustrates the present invention of a micro head cameradetachable from a hole in a display screen.

FIG. 56 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem camera affixedto a display screen wireless means to transmit video and power.

FIG. 57 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem camera affixedto a screen and powered by light energy from the display screen.

FIG. 58 illustrates the present invention of micro stem camera where thestem is concealed with a strip display with content seamlessly mergingthe main display and strip display.

FIG. 59 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem camera usedwith a bottom mounted short throw projector.

FIG. 60 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem camera usedwith a top mounted short throw projector.

FIG. 61 illustrates a prior art system of a camera placed in a hole of afront projection screen and light from the projector impinging on thecamera lens.

FIG. 62 illustrates the present invention of a camera mounted in a holeof a front projection screen and the lens protected from being impingedwith the light from the projector.

FIG. 63 illustrates the present invention of a micro stem camera with ashield to protect the lens from being impinged by the projector.

FIG. 64 illustrates the present invention with a large high resolutiondisplay used in a mode of close up viewing and creating a smaller imagein the larger screen and using a portion of the screen forvideoconferencing lighting.

FIG. 65 illustrates the present invention with a micro stem camera andmulti person conference display maintaining proportional life-sizeimages.

FIG. 66 illustrates the present invention in hotel guest room and usedin a work mode.

FIG. 67 illustrates the present invention in a hotel guest room with adisplay repositioned to a work mode area in the room.

FIG. 68 illustrates the present invention positioned in an area of ahotel room and operating in a work mode of use.

FIG. 69 illustrates the present invention with a table connector cubby.

FIG. 70 illustrates the present invention positioned in an area of ahotel room and operating in a watch mode of use.

FIG. 71 illustrates the present invention having multiple sources ofcontent delivery and collaboration.

FIG. 72 illustrates the present invention configured in a multipurposemeeting room with a close up work mode and a group conference work modeof use.

FIG. 73 illustrates the present invention configured in an office andintended to be used in a close up work mode of use and a watch mode ofuse.

FIG. 74 illustrates the present invention configured as a multi-mode usedisplay and eye aligned camera technology for eye contact.

FIG. 75 illustrates the present invention configured as a multi-mode usedisplay and enabling multiple streams of image content to be seen.

FIG. 76 illustrates the present invention configured with a surroundinglight for videoconferencing.

FIG. 77 illustrates the present invention with multiple options foraudio speakers.

FIG. 78 illustrates the present invention configured as a stretched filmaugmented reality environment that enables eye contact whilevideoconferencing.

FIG. 79 illustrates the present invention configured as a stretched filmaugmented reality environment and the interaction of 3D objects by boththe presenter and the viewers.

FIG. 80 illustrates the present invention configured as a stretched filmaugmented reality environment in a videoconferencing mode where imagedpeople appear in the middle of the room.

FIG. 81 illustrates the present invention configured as a stretched filmaugmented reality environment and maintain life-size proportionality ofimaged persons.

FIG. 82 illustrates the present invention configured as a stretched filmaugmented reality environment and controls for selecting various modesof use.

FIG. 83 illustrates a prior art stretched film optical configurationused for stage holograms.

FIG. 84 illustrates a prior art stretched film optical configurationused for stage holograms with projector impinging the inclined optic.

FIG. 85 illustrates the present invention stretching film by panel pullsections and bowed edge member stretching system.

FIG. 86 illustrates the present invention clasping a film edge forstretching.

FIG. 87 illustrates the present invention for stretching film as oneround tube pulling member.

FIG. 88 illustrates a display side view with a reflective panel used foreye contact while conferencing and a black backboard with a visibleborder.

FIG. 89 illustrates a display front view with a reflective panel usedfor eye contact while conferencing and a black backboard with a visibleborder.

FIG. 90 illustrates a side view of the present invention reflecting adisplay for eye contact while conferencing and an eliminated intrusivevisible black border.

FIG. 91 illustrates a front view of the present invention reflecting adisplay for eye contact while conferencing and an eliminated intrusivevisible black border.

FIG. 92 illustrates a top view of the present invention reflecting adisplay for eye contact and a camera hood that does not intrude beyond auser's viewing angle of the reflected image.

FIG. 93 illustrates the present invention of a smart hotel room doorwith a hallway side.

FIG. 94 illustrates a side view of the present invention of a smart doorand how the hallway side is connected to an in-room side.

FIG. 95 illustrates the present invention of a smart hotel room doorwith an in-room side.

FIG. 96 illustrates the present invention of a smart door and contentdistribution to displays on both sides of the door.

FIG. 97 illustrates the present invention of a videoconferencingsee-through display based on rear projection with a micro stem cameraand a top mounted projector.

FIG. 98 illustrates the present invention of a videoconferencingsee-through display based on rear projection with a micro stem cameraand a bottom mounted projector.

FIG. 99 illustrates the present invention with residual projection beamphysically blocked.

FIG. 100 illustrates the present invention with a residual projectionbeam light-absorbing material.

FIG. 101 illustrates the present invention with a residual projectionbeam light blocked by louvers.

FIG. 102 illustrates the present invention with a residual projectionbeam light being washed out by a bright light source.

FIG. 103 illustrates the present invention with a rear projectionconfiguration that conceals the residual projection beam light and thelight of the lens of the projector.

FIG. 104 illustrates the present invention with a rear projectionconfiguration that conceals the residual projection beam light in aceiling soffit and the light of the lens of the projector.

FIG. 105 illustrates the present invention with a rear projectionconfiguration that conceals the residual projection beam light in aceiling soffit and the light of the lens of the projector and anextended table.

FIG. 106 illustrates the present invention with a rear projectionconfiguration that conceals the residual projection beam light withlight absorbing material and the light of the lens of the projectorbehind the screen stand.

FIG. 107 illustrates the present invention with a rear projectionconfiguration that conceals the residual projection beam light by meansof a hanging light fixture.

FIG. 108 illustrates the present invention with a rear projectionconfiguration that conceals the residual projection beam light withlight absorbing material and the light of the lens of the projectorbehind the screen stand.

FIG. 109 illustrates the present invention configured as a rearprojection see-through stage with a concealing of a projector lens.

FIG. 110 illustrates the present invention with see-through projectionscreen that can be front, rear or both projection.

FIG. 111 illustrates the present invention configured as portablevideoconferencing stage system with the stage built upon stage roadcases and the projector lens hidden from view behind the stage.

FIG. 112 illustrates the present invention utilizing a see-throughprojection screen made of plastic.

FIG. 113 illustrates the present invention utilizing a see-throughprojection screen made of glass.

FIG. 114 illustrates the present invention utilizing a see-throughprojection screen made of laminated glass.

FIG. 115 illustrates the present invention utilizing a see-throughprojection screen made of optical element fabric.

FIG. 116 illustrates the present invention utilizing a see-throughprojection screen made of plastic film.

FIG. 117 illustrates the present invention utilizing a see-throughprojection screen or see-through mirror made of film plastic and anoptically bonded film extension.

FIG. 118 illustrates the present invention of a see-through rearprojection screen configured as a wide format speaker's podium with apartially concealed screen.

FIG. 119 illustrates the present invention of a see-through rearprojection screen configured as a wide format videoconferencingspeaker's podium.

FIG. 120 illustrates the present invention of a see-through rearprojection screen configured as a retractable and rollingvideoconferencing speaker's podium.

FIG. 121 illustrates the present invention of an environment shadowprojector applicable to all types of see-through display systems.

FIG. 122 illustrates the present invention of the method for creating ashadow in the background environment of objects seen on a see-throughdisplay.

FIG. 123 illustrates the present invention of a videoconferencing imagedmapped projection system for the stage.

FIG. 124 illustrates the present invention of a videoconferencing imagedmapped projection system for the stage with props familiar to commonstage sets.

FIG. 125 illustrates the present invention of a videoconferencing imagedmapped projection system for a corporate meeting room.

FIG. 126 illustrates the present invention of a transparent emissivedisplay large enough for a standing person's image with an environmentalback light for illuminating the emissive display.

FIG. 127 illustrates the present invention of a transparent emissivedisplay configured to show life-size videoconference images of peoplewith an environmental back light for illuminating the emissive display.

FIG. 128 illustrates the present invention of a wrist display with acurved shaped memory for being held on the wrist.

FIG. 129 illustrates the present invention of FIG. 128 of a wristdisplay with a flat memory and to be used as a small tablet or mobilephone.

FIG. 130 illustrates the present invention configured as a two-tiermulti-purpose videoconference room.

FIG. 131 illustrates the present invention configured as a large centertable multi-purpose videoconference room.

FIG. 132 illustrates the present invention configured as avideoconference production studio.

FIG. 133 illustrates the present invention configured as an eye contactmeeting room with two modes of use and seen in a multipurpose room mode.

FIG. 134 illustrates the present invention configured as an eye contactmeeting room with two modes of use and seen in a telepresence conferenceroom mode.

FIG. 135 illustrates the present invention configured with hanging lightpanels that align alongside a hanging flat panel display.

FIG. 136 illustrates the present invention of a floor resting groupconferencing light that is leaned against the wall.

FIG. 137 illustrates the present invention of a floor resting groupconferencing light that is freestanding.

FIG. 138 illustrates the present invention configured in a modular mediacenter with modular sections for lights, speakers, and decorativepanels.

FIG. 139 illustrates the present invention configured in a modular mediacenter for two side-by-side displays with modular sections for lights,speakers, and decorative panels.

FIG. 140 illustrates a side view of the present invention of a modularmedia center for flat panel displays.

FIG. 141 illustrates the present invention of a modular media center forreflective display eye contact systems.

FIG. 142 illustrates the present invention of a reflective display eyecontact system positioned on a desk with a micro stem camera.

FIG. 143 illustrates the present invention of a reflective display eyecontact system positioned on a desk with a micro stem camera and thedisplay is a dockable tablet.

FIG. 144 illustrates the present invention of a standingvideoconferencing production studio.

FIG. 145 illustrates the present invention of a see-through eye contactsystem integral with a service counter.

FIG. 146 illustrates the present invention of a see-through reflectivedisplay conference kiosk system.

FIG. 147 illustrates the present invention of a see-through emissivedisplay and conference kiosk system.

FIG. 148 illustrates numerous embodiments of the present inventionintegrated with a hotel property management system.

FIG. 149 illustrates the present invention with a forward projectionscreen and layered video images.

FIG. 150 illustrates the present invention with a display suspended in arisen stage mode.

FIG. 151 illustrates the present invention with a display suspended andlowered to floor height.

FIG. 152 illustrates the present invention configured as a moving andretracting stage.

FIG. 153 illustrates the present invention with a moving and retractingstage and repositionable in a divided multi-purpose room.

FIG. 154 illustrates the present invention of temporary studiosoundstage using a hotel multi-purpose room.

FIG. 155 illustrates the present invention of an online client createdevent show.

FIG. 156 illustrates the present invention a remote productioncollaboration and control system.

FIG. 157 illustrates a prior art cubicle privacy barrier.

FIG. 158 illustrates the present invention of an image display servingas a privacy barrier and mounted to a floor resting stand.

FIG. 159 illustrates the present invention of an image display servingas a privacy barrier and mounted to a desk mount.

FIG. 160 illustrates the present invention of a camera component kit andprocess for a consumer to select, create, and 3D print their own camerahousing.

FIG. 161 illustrates the present invention of holographic podiumcampaign.

FIG. 162 illustrates the present invention of a multi-viewer, switcher,and scaling device for close up viewing of ultra HD displays

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modescontemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Variousmodifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, since the general principles of the present invention have beendefined herein specifically to provide a realistic and life-like audioand visual communication experience.

Videoconferencing applications are now easily accessible to anyone witha personal computing device and the Internet. Notebooks, mobile phones,PCs, tablets, and more all have microphones, cameras, speakers, andsoftware to enable a videoconference. While videoconferencingaccessibility for consumers and businesses has greatly increased, theystill rely on audio-only communication and rarely engage videocommunication. The reasons are many, but the chief of the issues remainslow quality internet access causing poor video quality and poor humanfactors. While all the embodiments of the present invention wouldbenefit from increased bandwidth and a high quality connection theembodiments herein disclosed are related to human factors and resolvingthe issues of poor camera angles and people's images contained inside ofa TV frame. Specifically, ways to align cameras closer to the eye levelof the people seen on screen is a primary emphasis and also, in moreelaborate configurations, removing the people on screen and placing themwithin a room environment. The hallmark of life-like conferencing is toplace the image of the remote participants inside the room environmentthat is shared by the local participants and thereby simulating as ifall participants are in the same room. This is applicable to smalloffices, homes, meeting rooms, and even on the stage for live concertsand corporate events.

Disclosed herein are devices, methods, and related systems resolving theabove mentioned problems with videoconferencing. The present inventionenables a superior experience so that participants will want to use thetechnology and not be frustrated by poor human factors, people lookingoff and away while engaged in a conversation, and imaged participantsstuck on a TV set or a computer screen. The inventive motive describedherein is to enable videoconferencing to simulate a natural in-personconversation in order to make videoconferencing a viable and valuablecommunication option for consumers, business people, and even audiencesat events. Unfortunately, the history of videoconferencing has hadseveral false starts with major corporations claiming they have achieved“telepresence” when in reality they simply where marketing TVs withcameras on top. Consumers have become increasingly savvy and are alertedto marketing puffery. Sophisticated users now demand innovation thatwill provide natural life-like communication.

For clarification and simplicity the present invention describes a“videoconferencing transmission system” as any and all ways participantsin one location can hear and see remote participants at a remotelocation and likewise the same for the remote participants with thelocal participants. It should be expressly understood that for the sakeof definition, a videoconferencing transmission system includes any typeof audio pick-up device and related system for voice, any type of audioproducing device and related system to produce a voice, any type ofimage pick-up device and related system for capturing images of people,any type of audio and image processing to transmit audio and video, andany type of transmission system. Hence, this definition as expressed inthe claims of this invention should be understood to includeanalog-based videoconferencing, satellite-based videoconferencing,specialty-broadcast based videoconferencing, corporate class codecappliance-based videoconferencing, and personal computing device, andsoftware application videoconferencing. Included is conferencing inwhere video may be presented only one way and audio both ways. Thetotality of the definition above includes all known and future developedmeans for participants at one location to see and hear participants at adistant location. Also, any known and future developed features toenhance this communication such as, but not limited to, multipoint,multicast, encryption, cloud-based architectures, peer-to-peer schemes,server-based and router-based systems are all under the genericdesignations “videoconferencing transmission system” and“videoconferencing.” So unless otherwise, specified all the above isincluded and is modifiable by one of ordinary skill in the art withoutdeparting from the unique embodiments disclosed herein. Further,industry nomenclature should not confuse this definition and all wordssuch as “telepresence,” “video-chat,” “video-collaboration” and the likeare all encompassed by the designations “videoconferencing transmissionsystem” and “video conferencing.”

Disclosed herein are numerous embodiments incorporating an imagedisplay. Unless otherwise specified any and all types of displaytechnologies are applicable including any variation of resolution,refresh rate, 2-D, 3-D, and color. A vast array of self-contained lightemanating displays are applicable such as, but not limited to, LCD, LED,OLED, CRT, plasma, and the like. Also, many image displays are built asmodules and connected to form a variety of sizes and shapes. Certainly,any type of modular connected image display is applicable to the presentinvention and when connectably combined forms a single image display. Ofcourse, it is preferred that such modular image displays, whetherself-contained light emanating or rear projection, conceal seams betweenmodules. Also, unless otherwise specified, an image display should alsobe understood to include any type of projection system front, rear, orany type of projection pathway and optical components, including anytype of projector image engine and any type of projection screen. Also,a specific embodiment may include two or more types of displaytechnology to achieve a configurational objective. For example, an LEDimage display on stage may be used for a videoconference, yet aprojection screen is used for a stage magnification screen.

Likewise, the videoconferencing camera technology may be any type ofimage pick-up device and optical system. This includes any type of imagepick-up device such as, but not limited to, CCD and CMOS, including anytype of lens system, multiple lenses, multiple sensors, imagedprocessing, and 3-D. Further, any type of speakers and microphones areapplicable to any configuration of the embodiments of the presentinvention. Lastly, the present invention illustrates embodiments asapplied to various rooms, venues, and environments. It is to beexpressly understood that any particular configuration of theembodiments is applicable to any room, venue or environment. If, forexample, a type of room is disclosed such as a hotel multipurposeballroom in no way limits the present invention and should be applied toany room with similar characteristics, such as a large room at auniversity, a church, or on a corporate campus. Further, unlessotherwise specified, the present invention's embodiments are applicableto any type and size of device or system whether it is small enough tofit in the hand or massively large and fills an arena.

FIG. 1 is a prior art illustration of a large hotel multipurpose room 2with a common audio/visual configuration of a front projector 8projecting onto a front projection screen 6 positioned near a displaywall side of the room 3. Further, a temporary stage 12 is set-up so aspeaker 10 can converse with those sitting in an audience sitting zone14. The sitting zone 14 is where an audience resides and they may be intheater rows, around dining tables, standing or any other positiondepending on configuration of an event. An advantage to this roomconfiguration is that front projection takes up little floor space inthe large hotel multipurpose room 2. Disadvantages to this system arenumerous. A series of a ceiling light 4 offers ambient light throughoutthe room 2, yet washes out the front projection screen 6. Typically, theaudio/visual equipment are trucked in by a production company withexorbitant costs for logistics and planning for the event. Further, wearand tear of the facility becomes an issue as contractors set-up and teardown heavy equipment on a regular basis. Another major problem is thatthe speaker 10 is seen below the front projection screen 6 so as to notblock the projector 8's projected image. Lastly, it offers littlecompelling presentation value since flat two-dimensional images are seenwith poor black levels on the front projection screen 6.

Prior art FIG. 2 illustrates the same large hotel multipurpose room 2configured with a common Pepper's Ghost stage illusion with an inclinedstretched plastic film 26 to form a substrate that is transparent so anaudience (not shown) sitting in the sitting zone 14 can see the speaker10 standing the temporary stage 12. The front projector 8 is positionedon massive truss frame 20 and aimed to a floor resting front screen 18.The floor resting front screen 18 is reflected by the inclined stretchedplastic film 26 and has a virtual reflected image 24 appearing on thestage with the speaker 10. This Pepper's Ghost stage illusion has provedto be impractical for large hotel multipurpose room 2 for a variety ofreasons. The chief reason is the total system consumes a huge amount ofthe room 2 limiting the number of people that can be in the room. Insome situations it could easily consume one half of the room. Anotherissue is the set-up construction time and complexity of the systems. Itcan often take days to set-up this effect and as many as 6 people areneeded to stretch and mount the inclined stretched plastic film 26. Assuch, the wear and tear on a hotel facility is significant. The ceilinglights 4 above need to be blocked from above since the lights in theroom wash out the floor resting front projection screen 18. Reducing thelights in the room 2 is not a solution, because a dark room limits theusefulness of the seating zone 14. Commonly, such systems have blackdrapes (not shown) placed at the rear of the temporary stage 12, whichadds more equipment for logistics and set-up time. The inclinedstretched plastic film 26 is most often not coated with any reflectiveenhancing properties. Typically, the uncoated optic would have areflective value of about 10% of the originating source. That means avery expensive and high-powered projector is needed for projector 8 toincrease the brightness of the floor resting front screen 18. Further,the inclined stretch plastic film 28 is delicate and can be easilydinged and ripped making it nearly impractical for long-terminstallation in a multipurpose room 2. Black levels for these systemsare typically poor creating a noticeable haze in the virtual reflectedimage 24 caused by ambient light impinging the floor resting frontprojection screen 18. Even grey colored screens do not sufficientlyresolve this haze issue. Other issues abound, yet the most significantis the speaker 10 is strangely separated from the audience in thesitting zone 14 by the inclined stretched plastic film 26. The speaker10 is positioned up to 20 feet away from the front of the sitting zone14. Being at such a far distance and separated by the inclined plasticfilm is not effective when the speaker 10 wants to engage an audience ora talent wants to gauge an audience reaction.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the inclined stretched plasticfilm 26 incorporated into the temporary stage 12. This solution is justas complicated to set-up as the Pepper's Ghost illusion of FIG. 2. Afake room 32 is positioned in the ceiling and reflected by the inclinedstretched plastic film 26 forming a virtual reflected room 36. A rearprojector 28 and a rear projection screen 30 form a presentation image(not shown) in front of the virtual reflected room 36 adding depthbehind the speaker 10 from the audience perspective at the sitting zone14. The fake room 34 is illuminated by lights (not shown) so that itwill appear visible in the reflection of the virtual reflected 36. Thisvisual effect shares many of the same drawbacks as described for FIG. 2,including complex logistics, high cost, lengthy set-up time, dim images,room lights needing to be lowered, wear and tear on the facility, andhaving the speaker 10 far away and behind the inclined stretched plasticfilm 26.

With the limitations of the prior art, hotels have had little options tocreate compelling visual effects, presentations, and like-likevideoconferences in their large multipurpose rooms 2. The same is truefor other large rooms in schools, churches, corporations, and specialtyvenues, all of which can benefit from the present invention. The presentinvention offers an inventive solution to resolve all these issues ofthe prior art by enabling a compact system that is permanent to theroom. The solution can retract and expand and has a retractable stageincorporated into it as well. The solution is very bright so room lightscan remain on and a depth illusion for 3-D holography can be seenwithout the need of a bulky inclined stretched film taking up a largeportion of the room. Further, the solution is concealable so when it isnot in use it is camouflaged into the room décor so that themultipurpose rooms can be used for multiple kinds of events and roomarrangements.

A primary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4A.The large hotel multi-purpose room 2 utilizes a massive image display 42positioned near the display wall side of the room 3 with an image screen43 facing the audience sitting zone 14. The image display 42 isvertically oriented substantially straight up. Preferably, the massiveimage display 42 is an LED high-resolution fine pitch display. Oftenthese displays are fabricated in modules and it is certainly advantagesto utilize an LED product that has seams between modules that are notnoticeable by the audience in the sitting zone 14. The image display 42may also be an image display technology other than LED, and just as withLED, a self-contained light emanating display technology is preferred.The choice of potential massive display technology will evolve over thecoming years and those advances are certainly applicable to being themassive image display 42. The image display 42 may be as large asdesired for any particular large hotel multipurpose room 2. However, itis preferred the image display 42 enables a person to be imaged on thedisplay life-size (not shown) from a lower portion and also providepresentation content above the person on the image screen 43. Hence, asize approximately 30 feet across and 15 feet tall would be one idealarrangement. Also, the massive image display 42 may be oriented in aspecific aspect ratio to match a pixel-for-pixel resolution of 4K or 8Kvideo, as an example. Those in the art will appreciate that each room 2may require a modification of the massive image display 42 andconstructed at a size that fits any particular large hotel multipurposeroom 2. A surrounding black mask 46 is aligned to the perimeter edge ofthe image display 42, at least on the top, left, and right so that whenthe image screen 43 images the color black the image screen 43 and theblack mask 46 forms a continuous appearing surface from the perspectiveof the audience at the sitting zone 14.

FIG. 4A further illustrates an embodiment of a retracting stage system44 that retracts under the image display 42 when not in use and expandswhen in use. The retracting stage system 44 can be of any constructionand mechanical method of contraction and expansion. It may be in modularpieces and manually set-up or fully automated and folds out aided bymotors (not shown). Stage steps, railings, and multiple stage levels mayalso be added as desired (not shown), as well as other common stageconstruction elements.

An image display concealment substrate 40 of FIG. 4A is a retractablesystem for concealing the massive image display 42 and its image screen43. The image display concealment substrate 40 is vertically orientedsubstantially straight up. A primary embodiment of the present inventionis that the concealment substrate 40 can conceal the massive imagedisplay 42 when not in use and further conceals the image display 42 sothat the large hotel multipurpose room 2 has a continuity of décor inthe room and among its the wall surfaces. In other words, the room wallsurfaces all share a similar theme of décor including, but not limitedto, color, texture, pattern, design and materials. FIG. 4A illustratesthe room décor on the surrounding walls in the large hotel multipurposeroom 2 and FIG. 4B illustrates a front view of the concealment substrate40 that is, in this one configuration, a printed rolling fabric withprinted décor elements that match the actual décor of the room 2. FIG.4A and FIG. 4B are illustrated side-by-side revealing a room color 37 amatching a printed room color 37 b, a pattern with texture 39 a matchinga printed pattern with texture 39 b, a room design 41 a matching aprinted room design 41 b, and a room material 45 a matching a printedroom material 45 b. The image display concealment substrate 40 alsoserves to protect from damage the image screen 43 when not in use.

The image display concealment substrate 40 not only covers the imagedisplay 42, but also the surrounding black mask 46. The concealmentsubstrate 40 in one embodiment (FIGS. 4A and 4B) is made of a flexiblefabric panel and hung by an expanding ceiling bracket 48. Theconcealment substrate 40 may be any material including fabric, printedfabric, room-wide substrate, sectional substrates, and a solid substratesuch as wood, plastic, glass, and huge constructed moveable walls.Further, it may be mechanically placed in front of the image display 42and away from the image display 42 by any means and can retract upwards,downwards, left, right, and any combination therein. It may be rolled,bundled, stacked in panels and held in place from any combination fromabove, below, and from the top. It may also be removed and positionedout of the way. The image display concealment substrate 40 may also beremoved only partially exposing a smaller part of the image screen 43for the audience to view. Those in the art will appreciate that thelarge hotel multipurpose meeting room 2 requires décor continuity of allroom walls. An optional left side concealment substrate 40 b, anoptional right side concealment substrate 40 c, and an optional centersection concealment substrate 40 a may all retract independentlyexposing differing portions of the screen image 43. As described theimage display concealment substrate 40 is configured into 3 independentsections (2 or 4 or more sections certainly can be a preferred for somerooms).

Another embodiment of the present invention is to conceal the massiveimage display 42 and its image screen 43 by actually imaging content onthe image screen 43 that matches the large hotel multipurpose room 2décor. Careful attention to brightness, resolution, color, texture, andpattern of an image that matches the room 2 décor will conceal theintrusion of the image display 42 and image screen 43 in themulti-purpose room 2. The surrounding black mask 46 may be covered withretractable panels that match the décor and covers the mask 46. It mayalso be permanently finished not in black, but in a décor that matchesthe room. Lastly, the surrounding black mask 46 may be eliminated andthe image display 42 is placed to the ceiling and the side walls of theroom 2, and optionally to the floor, consuming the entire display wallside of the room 3.

Another embodiment of the present invention is the image screenconcealment substrate 40 is constructed of an open weave fabric and whenlight from the bright image screen 43 in illuminated, the open weavefabric (not shown) nearly disappears from the audience perspective inthe sitting zone 14. As a result the image screen concealment substrate40 need not be positionable away from the image screen 43. In this casethe open weave fabric becomes fully visible when the image screen 43 isoff and lights (not shown) between the image screen concealmentsubstrate 40 and the sitting zone 14 shine upon the open weave fabricmaking it fully visible to the audience in the sitting zone 14. The openweave fabric may be printed upon to match the décor of the large hotelmultipurpose meeting room 2. The open weave fabric may also be anycolor, yet some colors such as black become especially unnoticeable whenthe image screen 43 is on.

A major embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 5.The expanded ceiling bracket 48 with the image display concealmentsubstrate 40 is attached and expanded to a position at a distancesubstantially away from the image screen 43. That distance may be anydistance, but in a preferred arrangement 12 feet is sufficient. Aspeaker 10 is standing on the retracting stage system 44 and is able toengage the audience with an eye line 49 seated in the sitting zone 14.The speaker 10 is able to do so, because the concealment substrate 40,in this specific configuration, is configured with the optional centersection concealment substrate 40 a (FIG. 4B) rolled up and exposing tothe sitting zone audience the image screen 43. Significantly, theoptional left side concealment substrate 40 b and the optional rightside concealment substrate 40 c remain down, concealing the stage leftand right (not shown). The concealment substrate 40 b and 40 c nowserves as a stage foreground separated from the image screen 43. Noinclined stretched plastic film 26 is placed between the speaker 10 andthe audience seated in sitting zone 14 as with prior art systems (FIGS.2 and 3). Novel to this invention is a vertical reflective transparentsubstrate 60 placed near the image screen 43 and behind the speaker 10.The audience in the sitting zone 14 observes through the verticalreflective transparent substrate 60 the image screen 43 and thesurrounding black mask 46. When the image screen 43 images the colorblack the continuous black surface is seen combining both thesurrounding black mask 46 and the image screen 43.

A vertical reflective transparent substrate 60 of FIG. 5 reflects theforeground including a stage floor 52, a stage ceiling 54 and aconcealment substrate foreground side 50 all forming a reflected rearstage 56. The foreground has physical objects between the audience inthe sitting zone 14 and the image screen 43. The mid-ground has physicalobjects, such as a podium prop 58 placed near adjacent to the imagescreen 43 and is also between the image screen 43 and sitting zone 14.The mid-ground includes images imaged upon the image screen 43. Thevertical reflective transparent substrate 60 is vertically orientedsubstantially straight up. The concealment substrate foreground side 50may be flat or dimensional in shape (not shown). Also, the verticalreflective transparent substrate 50 may also reflect a side stage wallbetween the image screen 43 and the concealment substrate foregroundside 50 (not shown). The speaker 10 is seen standing in front of thereflected rear stage 56. The podium prop 58 is placed on stage at amid-ground to allow an imaged person (not shown) to be imaged on theimage screen 43 to appear standing behind the podium prop 58. To enhancethe reflection of the stage floor 52, the stage ceiling 54, and theconcealment substrate foreground side 50, stage lights (not shown) areused to illuminate these objects so that they will be visibly bright inthe reflection. Rather than stage lights, the stage floor 52, the stageceiling 54, and the concealment foreground side 50 may be illuminated byany means. For example, they may be self-illuminated light panels, fullcolor image displays, and projection screens with projected images toname only a few options (all not shown). Those skilled in the art willappreciate the creative production components and image content that canbe added to enhance the illumination of the foreground elements of thestage floor 52, the stage ceiling 54, and the concealment foregroundside 50.

FIG. 6 provides an alternative configuration of FIG. 5 where theconcealment substrate 40 and its concealment foreground side 50 arereplaced with a self-illuminated foreground object 62. That object 62 isreflected by the vertical reflective transparent substrate 60 forming areflected rear stage object 64. The foreground object 62 is illuminatedfrom within, but may be illuminated by stage lights instead (not shown).The foreground object 62 may also be used in conjunction with theconcealment foreground side 50. The foreground object 62 may also be animage display (not shown) various image content. It is possible thelight emanating from the foreground object 62 and any other foregroundilluminated elements may cause unwanted reflection of the image screen43 affecting its black level. Also, LED pixels may reflect the lightexposing them to the audience and impinging a view of the reflected rearstage 56 and the reflected rear stage object 64. To resolve this, afirst foreground polarizer 59 is placed on one or more illuminatedforeground objects such as object 62. Between the image screen 43 andthe vertical reflective transparent substrate 60 is a mid-groundpolarizer 61. From the image screen 43 perspective the foreground lightis greatly reduced and that light does not impinge the image screen 43due to the darkening alignment of polarizer's 59 and 61. It has alsobeen successfully deployed to use a large sheet polarizer as thevertical reflective transparent substrate 60 and thereby the mid-groundpolarizer 61 serves to both reduce the foreground light on the imagescreen 43 and to reflect the foreground object 62 and the concealmentforeground side 50.

Construction of the present invention is preferred to use ChristieDigital Velvet LED modules as the image display 42. Also, Leyard basedin China has made major advances in fine pitch indoor LED displaytechnology. There is currently a substantial cost difference betweenhigh resolution LEDs and low resolution LEDs. Conceivably, to reducecosts a large display could incorporate two or more resolutions of LEDswhere the higher resolution is used to image life-size people and thelower resolution is used for showing large close up shots of people in amagnification portion (see FIG. 20) of the screen (not shown). From theaudience perspective they may not even detect the difference inresolution if sufficiently far enough away. These LEDS are delicate andcan be damaged, so the numerous disclosed layers of substrates placedadjacent to the LEDs, as disclosed herein, serve to protect the LEDsfrom possible damage. The vertical reflective transparent substrate 60is preferably a flexible polyester film that offers inherent strengthwhen stretched. Typically polyester film is cut from its master roll atthe manufacturing plant to manageable smaller rolls. Specializedhandling procedures are required to access rolls wider than 10 feet. Theconcealment substrate 40, mechanical hanging and retracting systems arereadily available and custom built by firms such Rosebrand. Also,staging systems are available from many resources. Show control andimage processing are also widely available from many sources includingBarco and Christie Digital.

FIG. 7 illustrates additional embodiments of the present reflectedforeground stage invention. The concealment substrate 40 is replaced bya left theatrical stage drape 80 and a right theatrical stage drape 82.The drapes 80 and 82 are positioned away from the image screen 43 sothat their rear foreground side (not shown) can be reflected and form areflected rear stage 56 (not shown) behind an imaged speaker 68 on theimage screen 43. The drapes 80 and 82 may open and close concealing theimage screen 43. The vertical reflective transparent substrate 60 hasbeen replaced with a left reflective clear substrate section 74, a rightreflective clear substrate section 76, a bottom reflective clearsubstrate section 78 and a top reflective clear substrate section 72.Unlike vertical reflective transparent substrate 60 that spanned theentire surface of the image screen 43 the sections 74, 76, 78, and 72permit no reflective transparent substrate over the major center portionof the image screen 43. By doing so ambient light in the large hotelmultipurpose room 2 will not have unwanted reflection over the imagescreen 43. The sections 74, 76, 78, and 72 reflect the foreground drapes80 and 82 and the stage floor 52 and stage ceiling 54 (not shown). Thesections 74, 76, 78, and 72 may cover none or parts of the image screen43. Further, the sections cover the surrounding black mask 46, which isleft, right, and above the image screen 43.

The imaged speaker 68 seen in FIG. 7 is imaged on the image screen 43and may be recorded, broadcast or live videoconference. The podium prop58 serves to add a three-dimensional mid-ground prop aiding in theillusion that the imaged speaker 68 is live on stage. Preferably theimaged person 68 is seen against the color black on the image screen 43giving the audience in the sitting zone 14 no visual reference pointthat the image screen 43 is there. The surrounding black mask 46'sprimary purpose is to expand the black continuous surface so as topresent no visual reference point of the existence of the screen. Avideoconference camera 70 is optionally located inside the podium prop58 to capture images of the audience and the speaker 10 (not shown)standing on stage 44. To further aid in the illusion, the imaged person68 appears as a real person on stage by aligning his feet at analignment point 45 on the stage floor 52. It is to be expresslyunderstood that the color black in the image display may be shades ofblack depending upon the black level of the image screen 43. Thesurrounding black mask 46 should match the shade of black to create acontinuous appearing black surface.

FIG. 8 illustrates the configuration of FIG. 7 except the drapes 80 and82 are replaced with a left roll up concealment panel 84 (functionallythe same as 40 b of FIG. 4B) and a right roll up concealment panel 86(functionally the same as 40 c of FIG. 4B). The panels 84 and 86 serveas the foreground for reflection forming the reflected rear stage 56.The panels 84 and 86 can also, by motor, rise to expose the entire imagescreen 43 (not shown). A center concealment roll up center panel 88(functionally the same as 40 a of FIG. 4B) raises and lowers exposing orconcealing the image screen 43. The center panel 88 can also be builtwith a motorized rolling mechanism. The concealment panels 84, 86, and88 when fully rolled out conceals the image screen 43 and may evenconceal the stage 44 and has a décor that matches the large hotelmultipurpose room 2 wall surfaces.

FIG. 8. additionally illustrates a virtual stage light with a beam 87.The virtual stage light 87 is an image on the image screen 43. The beamof light against a black color filling the image screen creates theillusion that the imaged person 68 is actually a real person on stage.The virtual stage light with beam 87 may be a stock video clip added tothe show production by use of chromakey and other image combiningtechniques and mixes the image signals of the imaged person 68 and thevirtual stage light with the beam 87. The virtual stage light with beam87 is made even more realistic by having subtle changes in atmosphericdiffusion of which the light beam illuminates. The show producer maycreate numerous lighting scenarios with colors and a plethora of virtualstage light with beam 87 stock clips. The virtual stage light with beam87 can even be real-time animated to follow the imaged person 68 as theymove about. That process can be live manual by a show staff or automatedby image recognition and image processing. It is conceived that a liveanimated splash of light may illuminate the imaged person 68 and as hemoves in and out of one or more imaged light beams. This requires asophisticated image processing and image manipulating computer systemand software to accomplish this effect in real-time.

FIG. 9 has the foreground elements removed to illustrate a verticalreflective transparent substrate 60 covering the image display 43 andthe surrounding black mask 46. The imaged speaker 68 has a close-up shot89 on a magnification image 88 seen on a portion of the image screen 43.The recorded, broadcast or videoconference imaged person 68 is containedin an image signal. Real-time image processing permits the close up shot89 image to be extracted from the image of the imaged person 68. Thismay be a live manual process or achieved by automated image processingsoftware. It is also possible that the close up shot 89 is a separateimage signal and recorded and synced with the full body image signal ofthe imaged person 68. Also, a second image signal can be transmitted andreceived as an additional recorded, broadcast or videoconference image.

FIG. 9 further illustrates the present invention presenting a massive3-D volumetric object 90 floating in a black color of the image screen43 and the surrounding black mask 46. The volumetric object 90 appears3-D and is described as “holographic” by observers even though thevolumetric object 90 is technically not a hologram. Yet, industryterminology and popular description is certainly now morphing thedefinition of a “hologram.” The object 90 is animated or videotaped withcareful attention to increased surface reflection, shadows and motionthat are in concert create the impression of a solid object floating inmid-air in the stages black void. The illusion is even more impressivewhen the reflected rear stage 56 is seen behind the 3-D volumetricobject 90. Of course, stereo 3-D with glasses or auto-stereoscopicdisplays are applicable to the present invention, but the impressiveillusion of the 3-D volumetric object 90 presents an impressive 3-Dpresentation and entertainment experience. Those skilled in theproduction arts will appreciate the vast creative possibilities tocreate impressive corporate meetings, church services, concerts, andspecial events with custom content created for the present invention.For example, data from a motion capture actor movements can, inreal-time, be used to create animated characters. Those animatedcharacters can be recorded or interact with an audience live at manylocations simultaneously.

FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention where theimage display 42 rests on a room floor 91 with its image screenpositioned near the room floor 91 with a portion of the floor forming afloor stage area 92. The imaged person 68 has his feet aligned with thestage floor area 92 (not shown). FIG. 11 illustrates the presentinvention where the retracting stage system 44 is positioned in front ofthe image screen 43. FIG. 12 illustrates a retracting of the reflectiveforeground elements, removing of the concealment substrate 40, and thevertical reflective transparent substrate 60 from observation by theaudience in the sitting zone 14 (not shown). By doing so the imagescreen 43 can be used in a mode of use as a large video wall or moviescreen and in a second mode of use as a reflective foreground stagesystem.

FIG. 13 is a detailed mechanical side view of many of the embodimentsdescribed for FIG. 8. The left roll up concealment panel 84, the rightroll up concealment panel 86, and the center concealment roll up centerpanel 88 are rolled down concealing the entire image screen 43 and theblack surrounding mask 46. The retracting stage system 44 is seenretracted under the image display 42 with a stage front 136 that mayremain in view or covered by the panels 84, 86, and 88 (not shown). Afirst hinge 132 connects to a permanent stage section 126 and a firstflip up stage floor 130. The floor 130 is connected to a second hinge134 to a second flip up stage floor 128. An audio/visual equipment rack138 is placed under the image display 42. The image display 42 isattached to the display wall side of the room 3 by a heavy duty wallconnectors 110. Those in the art well appreciate that the image display42 may also be free standing (not shown) and also built with an accessarea between the image display 42 and the display wall side of the room3 for maintenance purposes (not shown). The image display 42 may also bepositionable away from the display wall side of the room 3 formaintenance and then repositioned closer to the wall 3 when in operation(not shown). The surrounding black mask 46 is attached to the imagedisplay 42 by an angle bracket 108. A side lighting rig 124 is one oftwo rigs, one for each side of the stage 44 (second side not shown).

The embodiment of FIG. 13 further illustrates mechanical systems forraising and lowering the various substrates and panels in the differingmodes of use. Customizing various theatrical drapery and scenery dropmechanical systems will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Thespecific mechanical systems described herein are only one of manyoptions to achieve the functional objectives described herein. A sidespool plate 103 (a second side spool plate on the opposing side of thestage 44 not shown) is attached to the display wall side of the room 3by an upper angle bracket 98 and a lower angle bracket 106. The sidespool plate 103 has ceiling fabric spool 104, a direction roller 100 forconnecting a ceiling fabric 102 to a clamp 118. Also connected to theside spool clamp 103 is the wide internal motor spool 120 for raisingand lowering the vertical reflective transparent substrate 60. Theexpanding ceiling bracket 48 has a motor 96 with a hanger bracket 112and a connected valance 122. Also, connected to the expanding ceilingbracket 48 is a dual motorized spool 114 with independent motorizedspools for raising and lowering independently the left roll upconcealment panel 84, the right roll up concealment panel 86, and thecenter concealment roll up center panel 88.

FIG. 14 is the same exact configuration of FIG. 13 except in an expandedmode of use with the image screen 43 visible to the audience (notshown). Specific unnumbered parts in FIG. 14 are numbered and referencedin FIG. 13. In the expanded mode, the ceiling fabric 102 is expanded ata fabric direction 148 by the expanding ceiling bracket 48 at anexpand-out direction 146. The expanding ceiling bracket 146 is alsopositioned into the foreground and substantially away from the imagescreen 43, the left roll up concealment panel 84, the right roll upconcealment panel 86, and the concealment roll up center panel 88. Thecenter concealment roll up panel 88 is rolled up at an up direction 144exposing the image screen 43 to the audience. Lights from the stagelighting rig 124 are aimed to illuminate all foreground elementssufficiently to be effectively reflected by the vertical reflectivetransparent substrate 60 or similar reflective system disclosed herein.The retracting stage system 44 is expanded at a direction 142 and isheld in place by a stage leg trusses 140. The lights are prevented frombeing aimed at a rear facing direction 147 which may wash out the imagescreen 43. Any type lights illuminating the foreground with the intentto be reflected by the vertical reflective substrate 60 or similartransparent reflector should not wash out the image screen 43. Tominimize light wash on the image screen 43 baffles, light directors,light lenses, image blocking film with micro louvers, and any othersystem, material or construction (not shown) are applicable to thepresent invention. Lights from the stage lighting rig 124 also canilluminate the podium prop 58 and any person on the stage 44 (notshown).

FIG. 15 illustrates a top view of the large hotel multipurpose room 2revealing both sides of the stage 44 and the left roll up concealmentpanel 84 and the right roll up concealment panel 86. From theperspective of the viewer 150 the reflected rear stage 56 is produced bythe reflection of the foreground including the stage floor 52, the stageceiling 54 (not shown), a stage side walls 149, and the concealmentsubstrate foreground side 50 all forming the reflected rear stage 56. Ashow operator 153 utilizes a control panel 151 to operate the entireevent. Certainly other arrangements of audio/video control and showproduction will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 16 illustrates the present invention with an embodiment thatutilizes a bright projector 152 and a massive front projection screen160 instead of the image display 42. All the disclosure related to theimage screen 43 is applicable to the massive front projection screen160. The massive front projection screen 160 may use any type andarrangement of variants of the vertical reflective transparent substrate60 as disclosed herein. As seen in FIG. 16 an optional hanging sheetpolarizer 159 is used to improve the contrast of the massive frontprojection screen 160 by darkening with alignment with an ambient lightpolarizers 156. Further, projector lens polarizer 154 can reduce thereflection of the projection lens of the bright projector 152 from theaudience perspective in the sitting zone 14. The surrounding black mask46 may be changed in color to match the color of the massive frontprojection screen 160 forming a solid continuous appearing surface. Thehanging sheet polarizer 159, or any reflective transparent substrate,may also only cover the surrounding black mask 46 and not the massivefront projection screen 160. The podium prop 58 may need to beconstructed in a way that prevents excessive shadows to be cast on themassive front projection screen 160.

FIG. 17 illustrates the present invention and cross referenced to FIG.10 with the image display 42 and the image screen 43 positioned at theroom floor 91 and forming the floor stage area 92. The image displayconcealment substrate 40 is motorized retractable by a motor spool 166held by a top bracket 164. FIG. 18 Illustrates the present invention ofa reflected foreground built as a staging kit to be set-up and placed infront of the image screen 43 of the image display 42 that is permanentor temporary in the large hotel multipurpose room 2 or any room orvenue. Moving at an upwards direction 192, the image display concealmentsubstrate 40 is rolled out of the way. Positioned in front of the imagescreen 43 is a temporary stage floor 188 supported by a temporary stageriser legs 184 consuming a floor space 190. The temporary stage riserlegs 184 are concealed by a stage skirt 186. The stage lighting rig 124,a rear mount spool 182 for rolling up the vertical reflectivetransparent substrate 60, the hanger bracket 112 with a connectedvalance 122, the dual motorized spool 114 with independent motorizedspools for raising and lowering independently the left roll upconcealment panel 84, the right roll up concealment panel 86, and thecenter concealment roll up panel 88 are held in place by a back truss170, connected to a back upper truss block 174, connected by a top truss178, connected by a front upper truss block 176, and connected to afront truss 172. While FIG. 18 illustrates the image display 42 at floorheight it certainly could be raised up and still have the staging kitembodiment placed in front of it.

FIG. 19 illustrates the present invention configured with a 3D projector199 projecting onto a stereo image supporting projection screen 198. Thepodium prop 58 is constructed to not interfere with an angle of theprojection beam 204 and thereby reduce shadows cast onto the screen 198.The audience in the sitting zone 14 utilizes 3D glasses of any typeincluding active and passive glasses. As described for all embodimentsthat are herein relevant to this configuration, and especially thedisclosure for FIG. 16, is applicable to this configurationalembodiment. 3D production, post production, and projection is common inthe art. The present invention applies the additional depth cues of 3Dprojection to a recoded, broadcast, and videoconference of the image ofthe imaged person 68. 3D can aid further in creating a virtual stage,adding depth to the imaged person 68 and project virtual 3D stageelements (not shown). It can also be produced in conjunction with thereflected rear stage 56 (not shown).

FIG. 20 illustrates the present invention's video production and variousimage display orientations for recorded presentations, broadcasts, andvideoconferences of the imaged person 68. A production backdrop 208 ismade of a black light absorbing substrate or a chromakey background andimage processed to a black color. The image captured person 214 iscontained in an image capture image 210. A close up image 213 is eitherextracted from the image capture image 210 or created with a secondimage capture device. The imaged captured person 214 utilizes a narrowpodium 212, which is blocked by the podium prop 58 when displayed. Imageprocessing 222 of the image capture image 210 modifies the image 210 ina venue one with a square screen 220 and also in a venue two with arectangular screen 218. Image processing 222 can take a recorded image,a broadcast image, and a videoconference image and maintain a life-sizeproportion of the image captured person 214 who is seen as the imagedperson 68 on the square screen 220 and the rectangular screen 218. Theimage capture image 210 aspect ratio may be maintained in proportion nomatter what numerous shapes and sizes of screens such as 218 and 220.The venue one with the square screen 220 and the venue two with therectangular screen 218 are for reference sake and both share theembodiments described for image screen 43. That aspect ratio willusually be 16:9 but may also be wider or narrower. The aspect ratio mayalso be in portrait mode to preserve as a high pixel density of theimaged person 68. The production backdrop 208 that produces black in theimage capture image 210 is displayed as native source image 216 in thescreens 218 and 220. The screens 218 and 220 themselves image the colorblack in all areas of the screen that are not the native source image216 forming a continuous black color with the screens 218 and 220. Thevideoconferencing camera 70 is concealed in the podium prop 58. Adisplayed close-up shot 89 on a magnification image 88 originates as theclose image 213. A venue one virtual stage light 221 and a venue twovirtual stage light 223 are configured for the size and shape of thescreens 220 and 221. Functionally, the virtual lights 223 and 220correspond to the explanation of FIG. 8 and the virtual stage light withbeam 87. Modifications of the production and the display on multiplesize image screens will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.Further the image person 68 need not be head-to-toe, but may be only atorso and head shot and placed in front of the podium prop 58 or a tableprop (not shown). In this case, the native source image 216 may actuallybe quite small. Also, numerous native source signals could be mixed anddisplayed side-by-side and each containing an imaged person recorded orlive video conferenced creating the appearance that they are all sittingat a table during a panel discussion (all not shown).

FIG. 21 illustrates an alternative to the image display 42. A massiverear projection screen 227 replaces the image screen 43, and is producedby a lower short throw projector 226 and a higher short throw projector228. The projection beams form a single continuous image and areseamless by an image over lapping 265. Those skilled in the art willappreciate multiple projection pathways from one or many projectorsforming a massive image that functions as described for the image screen43 with all the other related elements and functions as describedherein. Projection mirrors (not shown) as well as any type of projectorare applicable to the rear projection configuration of the FIG. 21.

Another embodiment of the present invention is utilizing the imagedisplay 42 with its image screen 43 constructed as a massive flexibledisplay (not shown) that can be rolled up or moved aside like curtainsor wall panels. It is to be expressly understood that as it relates tothe deployment into the large hotel multipurpose room 2 such flexibleimage display construction will enable the same modes of use asdescribed herein. With the massive flexible display, the massiveconcealment substrate 40 is not needed. The massive flexible displaywhen positioned out of the way reveals the actual room wall of themultipurpose room 2 creating a consistency of décor on all room wallsurfaces including the display wall side of the room 3. Further, themassive flexible display is constructed of a display technology that isintegrated into all of the disclosed embodiments of the presentreflected foreground invention in any application, and mostsignificantly for the stage. The surrounding black mask 46 may be builtinto the flexible image display and may have a mask that is dropped infront of, rolled up with, and adjacent to it. Additionally, the verticaltransparent reflective substrate 60, or its equivalent, can be droppedin front of the massive flexible image display.

FIG. 22 illustrates the present invention with both the imaged person 68and the speaker 10 on stage. While certainly the speaker 10 couldinteract with a recorded image of the imaged person 68 it would requiretiming and production coordination. In a broadcast, the speaker 10 mayonly transmit his voice to the location where the imaged person 68 islocated and thereby give the impression to the audience that both theimage person 68 and the speaker 10 can both see and hear each other.Ideally, the imaged person 68 and the speaker 10 participate in a highquality videoconference transmission and the audience can observe thespeaker 10 and the imaged person 68 and interact naturally with eachother. Further, the speaker 10 and the imaged person 68 can alsointeract live in the videoconference with the audience enabling a fullyinteractive event. Further, multipoint can enable a videoconference tooccur in many locations simultaneously with the present invention. Thevideoconference camera 70 is mounted and concealed in a floor restingmicrophone stand 229 on the stage 44. This unique camera concealment isan inventive embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 illustrates a preferred videoconference transmission system forthe disclosed image display stage concealment and reflected foregroundstage invention. A data network 232 connects to a network operationscenter 230 intended for managing a global deployment of large hotelmultipurpose rooms 2 incorporating the present invention. Connected tothe data network 232 is a hosted router and/or MCU (multi-point control)234 for enabling many sites to participate in a stage videoconference. Alive stage production 246 permits a videoconference transmission by acodec for a stage 240 to be viewed upon a production display 236. A livetelepresence production 244 permits a videoconference transmission by acodec for the talent 238 to be viewed upon a stage display 242. Thevideoconference transmission permits the live telepresence production244 and the live stage production 246 to communicate by seeing andhearing each other by the connected interaction of at least minimallythe codec for the stage 240, the codec for the talent 238 and by meansof the data network 232. Related equipment such as cameras, microphonesand speakers are integrated as a part of the videoconferencetransmission system, as required at one or more locations. The networkoperations center 230 can also serve to manage all forms ofcommunication to and from the present stage invention includingsatellite, terrestrial TV, and other communication means, and allshowing content that is recorded, broadcast, and live videoconferenceinteractive among various large hotel multipurpose rooms 2 andproduction studios (not shown). Any and all protocols forvideoconference transmission, including, but not limited to, analog,dynamic transfer mode (DTM), internet protocol (IP), and motion JPEG areall applicable to achieve the communication objectives of the presentinvention.

FIG. 24 illustrates the present invention as a digital signage system. Asign image display 268 with a sign content image screen 267 has areflective clear substrate 266 that reflects a light prop 261 in theforeground as a virtually reflected light 264 behind the sign contentimage screen 267. An optional light side polarizer 266 is aligned withan optional sign side polarizer 265 and darkens from the sign contentimage screen 267 perspective and thereby reduces light from impingingthe sign content image screen 267. A sign viewer 262 peers in a signscreen direction 271 through the reflective clear substrate 266 and thesign side polarizer 265 to view the sign content image screen 267. Aclear barrier 263, such as protective glass, is not positioned betweenthe sign viewer 262 and the sign image content screen 267. Such barrieritself would be reflected by the reflective clear substrate 266 causingunwanted reflection and also have upon it unwanted ambient reflections.The sign side polarizer 265 may serve as the reflective clear substrate266 provided it has sufficient reflection value to reflect the lightprop 261. The light prop 261 may be any shape and size depending uponthe intended digital signage application. The signage system mayincorporate any embodiment described for the stage application includingvideoconferencing. The embodiment of FIG. 24 is applicable to large andsmall signage systems in public spaces and may be built into kiosks andautomatic teller machines (ATMs). It is also applicable to the stagesystems and any other relevant configurations described herein.

FIG. 25 illustrates the present invention configured as a groupvideoconferencing system with a center camera placement 260 (but notlimited to other placements) and aimed through a wide clear reflectivesubstrate 250 reflecting a foreground light posts 254 and appearing as areflected background light posts 256 in a reflection upon the wide clearreflective substrate 250. The camera placement may also be in front ofthe wide clear substrate 250. A group videoconference participants 258are imaged on a wide conference screen 252 and the screen is adjacent onthe same plane as an optional wide area surrounding black 251. The widearea surrounding black 251 extends the area for reflection by the wideclear substrate 250 of the foreground light posts 254. All embodimentsof the reflected foreground discussed herein are applicable to thepresent embodiment of FIG. 25. The foreground light posts 254 may bemodified in size, shape, position and number. Likewise floors, ceilings,and walls that are illuminated externally or internally may be reflectedby the wide clear reflective substrate 250 to create objects that appearbehind the videoconference participants 258.

FIG. 26 illustrates an alternate embodiment as described for FIG. 24 andFIG. 25 with the modification of showing a full standing person 288 on aportrait display 280 with a portrait image screen 286. The portraitimage screen 286 has a portrait surrounding black substrate 284. Theblack substrate 284 and the portrait image screen 286 are covered by aportrait clear reflective panel 282 for reflecting a tall foregroundlight posts 294 and an illuminated floor 292 creating a reflected floor290. A wide direction 308 illustrates construction of the embodimentthat may be widened to provide a wider viewing angle for observers (notshown). A videoconference box 296 contains a microphone 298, a smallconference camera 300, and a small speaker 301. The embodiment of FIG.26 may be a videoconferencing system, kiosk, an ATM, a virtual greetingsystem, a clothing advertising system, and any recorded and liveapplication that shows a life-size person, among numerous other uses.Further, internally or externally illuminated floors, ceilings, andwalls may replace or augment the tall foreground light posts 294 forreflection by the portrait clear reflective panel 282.

FIG. 27 illustrates a multi-sided light output post as an alternativeforeground object. A light 304 illuminates a heavy diffused three sidedhousing 302 and lightly diffused side 306 has a facing direction 303toward the clear reflective substrate (not shown). The heavy diffusedthree-sided housing 302 is observed directly by a viewer (not shown) andhas a common level of illumination. The light diffused side 306 is muchbrighter, but is observed by a viewer only in a reflection of the clearreflective substrate (not shown). That reflection matches the commonlevel illumination from the viewer's perspective as being a consistencyof illumination of the foreground object as observed directly and in thereflection. The clear reflective substrate for reflecting a foreground,as described herein in numerous embodiments, may be adjusted in itsreflectivity from being an uncoated clear substrate to a complexbeamsplitter coating with high reflectivity and transparency.

FIG. 28 illustrates a perspective view of the present invention for thestage revealing the foreground object 62 (FIG. 6) seen as the reflectedrear stage object 64. The vertical reflective transparent substrate 60is placed in front of the image screen 43 of the image display 42. Thestage floor 52 of the retracting stage floor system 44 is seen as astage reflection 315 upon the vertical reflective transparent substrate60. The speaker 10 can interact with the audience (not shown) and theimaged person 68. The imaged person 68 can appear to stand behind thepodium prop 58 and the imaged person 68 can see the audience and thespeaker 10 by the videoconference camera 70. The vertical reflectivetransparent substrate 60 may be configured into a left reflective zone314, a right reflective zone 316, and a reduced reflective zone 318. Thereduced reflective zone 318 may have a reflective top for reflecting thestage ceiling (not shown) and a lower reflective zone for reflecting thestage floor 52 as revealed in the reduced reflective center portion 320.An ambient light source 310 has a potential reflection 312 in the rightreflective zone 316. The potential reflection 312 is more visible on theright reflective zone 316 and less reflective in the reduced reflectivezone 318 and the reduced reflective center 320. The vertical reflectivetransparent substrate 60 may be constructed by any reflective clearsubstrate and may have a continuous reflectivity across its entiresurface or degrees of reflectivity across its surface. Variations ofreflectivity are possible by numerous methods including, but not limitedto, reflective optical coatings, anti-reflective optical coatings,layering coatings, feathering coatings with degrees of reflectivity,seaming coating sections with degrees of reflectivity, and usingreflective sectional pieces instead of single vertical reflectivetransparent substrate 60. The same applies to all configurations of thepresent reflected foreground invention disclosed herein for suchapplications as group videoconferencing, digital signage, kiosks, andATMs.

The vertical reflective transparent substrate 60 and its disclosedvariants may be constructed in numerous ways, with numerous materials,and with numerous optical coatings and properties. As advances inoptical technology takes place and new materials come into existence allare applicable and within the scope of the present invention. FIG. 29-36are all variants of the vertical reflective transparent substrate 60.The embodiments of any these figures may have any type of opticalcoating and optical characteristic such as polarization and may be inany combination. Polarized optics in the form of glass, plastic or filmmay serve a dual role to reflect the foreground and also blockforeground light aligned with another polarizer from negativelyimpinging the image screen 43. FIG. 29 illustrates a clear rigid plastic322. FIG. 30 illustrates a rigid glass 324 that may be hardenedchemically, by tempering or by other means. FIG. 31 illustrates aseparate sectional clear reflective members consisting of a section left326, a section right 328, a section bottom 332, and a section top 330.FIG. 32 illustrates a single clear substrate 336 with an increasedreflective left side 334 and an increased reflective right side 338. Theincreased reflectivity may be based on optical coatings, adding orremoving portions of optical coatings, feathering optical coating orlayering several clear optical pieces on top of each other asillustrated in FIG. 33. FIG. 33 shows a first vertically clear flexiblesheet 340, a second vertically clear flexible sheet 342, and a thirdvertically clear reflective sheet 344 each with an inherent reflectionvalue and when positioned next to each other increases the total valueof reflection. FIG. 34 illustrates a flexible clear plastic film 348hung by a hanger 350 and with a bottom weight 346. The bottom weight 346pulls the flexible clear plastic film 348 sufficiently to form adistortion free reflective surface. FIG. 35 illustrates a flexible clearfilm 354 stretched over a frame 352. Stretching can be manual pulling,mechanical pulling, and also heat shrinking over the frame 352. FIG. 36illustrates a flexible stretch plastic 364 with pull bars 358 affixed toone or more sides (all shown) and pullers 366. The pullers 366 areaffixed to a rigid structure (not shown). The pullers 366 may be wormscrews, springs, straps, ratchets, and any other puller technology wellknown in the projection screen and theatrical staging arts for decades.

Any embodiment of the present invention utilizing the surrounding blacksubstrate 46 and the vertical reflective transparent substrate 60 or theseparate sections described for FIG. 31, may be combined as a singleoptical element referred to as a black mirror (not shown). As such, whenin claims and description herein it should be expressly understood theblack mirror is an optional combination of the black substrate 46 andthe reflector used for reflecting the foreground. The black mirror maybe fully opaque and placed at and beyond the perimeter of the imagescreen 43 or may be dark in hue and partially transparent and coveringthe image screen 43. The objective of the black mirror is to form acontinuous black surface of the image screen 43 and beyond itsperimeter. The color black is preferred, but shades of dark grey willsuffice and those shades, for the sake of definition, should beconstrued as the color black. The black mirror may be any substrate, yetlarge plastic sheet film that is black in color or is transparently greyto the see the image screen 43 behind will suffice. As such, a greysheet polarizer may be used. The polarizer also can eliminate ambientroom light and foreground light from impinging the image screen 43 byadditionally aligned polarizers.

The hotel multipurpose room 2 combined with the present stageembodiments enables a hotel owner and operator to offer a wide varietyof events otherwise not possible. Ideally the present disclosed stageinventions are deployed in hotels around the globe and booking for theseevents are centralized. For example, a music artist desires to do fivesimultaneous concerts around the globe live. The present invention andnumerous embodiments permit the hotel owners to have the entire concertvenue technology stored and ready to be deployed in their hotelmultipurpose room 2. No outside audio/visual company and no stagingcompany is required for these events. The hotel multipurpose meetingroom 2 is connected to an originating site where the artist is locatedand live via videoconference the artist can interact with each of thelive locations by both seeing and hearing each other. Of course, thepresent invention offers the hotel owner and operator an impressivecorporate meeting tool where executives need not fly to the hotel tofully interact with the audience on stage. When not on stage theexecutive can use another videoconferencing room as disclosed laterherein to conduct more personal meetings and breakout sessions. Thepresent invention offers a superb system for doing professionaldevelopment such as a global remote doctors training network. Forexample, surgical techniques and medical products can be seen floatingon stage next to the presenter. Religious groups may utilize the hotelmultipurpose meeting room 2 and enjoy the present disclosed invention atweekly gatherings. Politicians will also greatly benefit by the presentinvention since they are now be able appear as a hologram and visit adozen or more cities in a single day by arranging campaign stops atparticipating hotels all via videoconference. The present invention alsopermits movies to be seen and the participating hotels can convert aballroom into a high-end dinner and movie theater. Also, live drama viabroadcast or even better via videoconferencing permits actors in onelocation to interact and hear the audience feedback live even though theactors and audience are separated by thousands of miles. The presentstage invention is also ideal for showing live sports at many locationsto large audiences with sports figures, commentators and giantvolumetric objects appearing 3D on stage. Numerous other applicationsand event types abound and hotel owners and operators have a newglobally connected solution for numerous segments of society to visittheir hotel properties.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the stage embodiments for thedescribed large hotel multipurpose room 2 may be modified as needed forthe numerous arrangements of multipurpose room 2 environments. Thoserooms, in fact, need not be multipurpose, but fixed seat theaters withthe seats at inclines, fixed seat training environments in universitiesand corporations, to name only a few. Those skilled in art willappreciate that any room and any scale of the embodiments will notdepart from the scope of the disclosed invention. The present inventionmay be a permanent or a temporary installation. Also, the hotelmultipurpose room 2 is herein defined to include any public rentablemultipurpose space such a convention center hall and a convention centermeeting room. When built into a temporary application, such as atradeshow booth, the display wall side of the room 3 includes in itsdefinition a side of a booth or other arrangement. Lastly, the presentinvention may be incorporated into theatrical shows and concerts wherethe entire image display 42 and all other elements are rolled, swung,raised, lowered, and the like for an audience observation for only aportion of a show, concert or event.

Eye contact while videoconferencing has been a perplexing problem forall types of applications and uses. The camera mounted at the edge ofthe display creates the distraction of people looking far away ratherthan toward each other. Ideally, an eye contact system mounts a cameradirectly behind the eyes of the person on screen to affect perfect eyecontact. Yet, a substantial need exists to improve eye contact and do sowith off-shelf TVs and computer monitors. Also, a substantial needexists to provide a superior camera quality better than a web camera.Still further, consumers are frustrated with having to purchase adifferent kind of camera for numerous conferencing applications such asdesktop and group conferencing configurations. The present inventionresolves these issues.

FIG. 37 illustrates a prior art multiple rear projection display systemwith a hole 372 cut into a rear projection screens 370. A rear camera374 is mounted between projection pathways (not shown) so as to not casta shadow on the rear projection screens 370. Rear projection has provento be too bulky and affordable flat panel TVs now render this solutionnearly obsolete. Also, the hole 372 is an intrusion and when the rearprojection screens 370 show content, such as data, the hole 372 is anunacceptable obstruction to the image. FIG. 38 shows a large PTZ camerabox 378 intruding a generic display 376. A pan/tilt/zoom camera 380requires the large PTZ camera box 378 for the camera 380 to mechanicallycapture various parts of a room and not have the box 378 impinge theimage captured. The large PTZ camera box 378 may be in front of thegeneric display 376 or built into the generic display 376. Certainly theintrusion of the bulky pan/tilt/zoom camera 380 and its box 376 is adistraction and an intrusion while videoconferencing. FIG. 39illustrates an overhanging camera body 386 with a lens camera 384. Theoverhanging camera body 386 creates a significant distraction being inclose contact with a conference person's image 383 on a typicalconference display 382. The lens camera 384, with even a small lens 1″in diameter, is a significant intrusion while conferencing since itlooks like the conference person image 383 is wearing a hat or hassomething stuck on his head. The visible and obvious lens and the widebody of the overhanging camera body 386 combined, negatively affects theconferencing experience and eliminates whatever gains are made with animproved eye line. Other prior art systems place tiny beamsplitters onan image screen and aims a camera onto the beamsplitters for capturing areflection of the viewers (not shown). These systems have proved to betoo complicated and non-functional since light from the image screenimpinges the reflected image on the tiny beamsplitter. Still others havetried, since the dawn videoconferencing, clamping cameras in bulkyhousings to monitor bezels and positioning the camera over the face ofthe person on the screen (not shown). Such crude systems have been usedfor decades and have proved utterly impractical for qualityvideoconferencing.

FIG. 40 illustrates a small camera 394 made of a common constructionsquare electronic sensor board. The small camera 394 has a screw on lens398 into threads 396. An image signal transmitter and power wire bundle392 is contained along with the small camera 394 in a slim housing 390.The power wire of the bundle 394 is connected to a power source and thatsource may be permanent or battery. Traditional small cameraconstruction limits a primary objective of the present invention andthat is to create a nano camera with no intruding large visible lens andwide body housing. FIG. 41 illustrates a nano camera 402 with anintegral lens constructed upon a rectangular shaped nano electronicsensor board 404 for processing sensor image data. The objective is tocreate a highly unique rectangular camera assembly herein referred to asa nano stem camera 400. As described for all relevant embodiments of thepresent invention whenever the nano stem camera 400 as referencedincludes the nano camera 402. As illustrated, the nano-sensor electronicboard 404 is nearly as narrow as the image signal and power wire bundle392 permitting the assembly of the nano-stem camera 400 to be extremelynarrow and elongated in shape.

FIG. 42 illustrates an alternate embodiment where power and signal wiresare integral to a clear wire assembly 406. The clear wire assembly 406may be constructed as a clear flexible ribbon material or a clear rigidmaterial. The wires may be embedded or printed and the wires areintended to nearly disappear from view when placed in front of aluminous image display (not shown). FIG. 43 separates electronicfunctions of the nano electronic sensor board 404 into two halvesconsisting of sensor mount board 408 and an electronic camera board 412.The sensor mount board 408 connects to the electronic camera board 412by an electronic wire bundle 410 that may be clear or concealed in thenano stem camera 400. The electronic camera board 412 may be constructedrectangularly and contained in the nano stem camera 400 (not shown) orseparate and hidden from view.

FIG. 44 illustrates a perspective view of the nano stem camera 400 heldin the hand of a camera user 414. The nano camera 402 is exposed fromthe nano stem camera 400 and is so small it is not recognizable as acamera unless the camera user 414 closely inspects it. The elongatedshape may be any tubular style including round, oval, and square. Theexterior of the nano stem camera 400 may be any color or textureincluding highly reflective mirror like finishes. An extension tube 413permits the camera user 414 to choose the ideal length of the nano stemcamera 400 and depends upon the image display (not shown) it will beplaced in front of. For example, a short stem would be used with adesktop computer monitor and a long stem would be used with a large flatpanel TV for group conferencing. Ideally, one product could be sold formultiple applications. The diameter of the nano stem camera 400 dependsupon specific applications. The stem has been demonstrated to be lessthe 0.5 inch and even 0.28 inch diameter. Certainly the less diameterthe better to minimize its appearance when placed in front of an imagedisplay. Further, the nano stem camera can have at one end a motorizedpan and tilt mechanism (not shown). Also, the mechanism may be builtinto any part of the stem such as close to the nano camera 402. Amotorized zoom may also be included. Preset scene features may be addedand even auto tracking. The nano stem camera 400 may have IR andwireless and wired controls.

The nano camera 402 is preferably sourced as a massive megapixel CMOScamera for mobile phones. These nano cameras are now constructed intomobile phones with resolution above 40 megapixels. As a result they havea magnitude greater resolution than HDTV. FIG. 45 illustrates a nanocamera 402 with integral nano lens (not shown). The lens on the nanocamera 402 may cause a significant distorted image area 420 at theperimeter of a megapixel sensor 418. This is especially true for amassive megapixel camera. The area in the center of the megapixel sensor418 is substantially free from lens distortion permitting an imageportion 424 to be extracted. The present invention utilizes the imageportion 424 of the sensor 418 free from lens distortions to digitallysimulate a panning, tilting, and zooming 422 of the nano camera 402. Theimage portion 424 can produce a native resolution of any HDTV standardand even 4K standards and beyond. The camera user 414 can manuallyselect features common to mechanical panning, tilting, and zooming andalso has presets for one-touch selected scenes. Remote controls (notshown) and software can be used to access the cameras functionalitiesand may include pattern recognition face tracking.

FIG. 46 illustrates the present invention nano stem camera 402 with amegapixel camera sensor substantially higher than the needed nativeresolution of a given videoconferencing system or application. Thepresent invention extracts from the sensor 418 a first video portion andlive stream 426, a second video portion and live stream 428, and a thirdvideo portion and live stream 430. The video portions 426, 428, and 430may each capture various parts of a videoconference with the intent ofbeing displayed at a remote location on multiple image displays orseamed together by image processing to create a panorama view of avideoconference. Numerous options are available to enhancevideoconferencing by having a megapixel sensor 418 that can producesimultaneously two or more image signals. Custom image processing andelectronics are required to extract multiple simultaneous images fromthe megapixel sensor 418.

Several manufactures around the world manufacture nano class cameras andcustom configuration from the sensor manufacture is preferred to ensurethe assemblies and cable connectors enable the elongated and extremelyslender shape of the nano stem camera 400. Sensor technology may beCMOS, CCD, and any type of sensor. It may also be 3D, multi-sensor,multi-lens array, and 3D light field technology. Also preferably thecamera lens should be so small it is not recognizable as a lens fromeven inches away. The nano camera 402 may also be constructed with atiny mirror and the assembly works like a tiny periscope (not shown).Although present invention discloses the nano stem camera 400 asspecifically created for videoconferencing, it can certainly be used inmany other applications such as security, live action sports, and evenTV and film production. It may also have built in recording capabilitiesfor storing video clips, picture taking function, built-invideoconferencing codec, battery, and other features.

FIG. 47 illustrates a unique embodiment of the present invention thatconceals the nano camera 402 in a gooseneck camera microphone 442 on atable stand 432. The nano camera 402 captures an image 438 of a localvideoconferencing participant (not shown). The gooseneck cameramicrophone 442 is a real object that naturally extends above a workingsurface 440 without drawing attention to local participants that it isactually a camera placed in front of a flat panel screen 436. Thegooseneck camera microphone 442 and the nano camera 402 are placedsufficiently high in the picture to enable better eye contact whilevideoconferencing and broadcasting. The gooseneck camera microphone 442may also be built to raise and lower into a table surface by hand or bymotorized mechanical means. The gooseneck camera microphone 442 may alsohave a functional microphone built near the nano camera 402 (not shown).That microphone is not aimed toward the image of the person (not shown)on the flat panel screen 436, but rather is aimed toward the localparticipant (not shown).

Further, a flat panel display 434 with the flat panel screen 436 (morefully defined in FIG. 64) is placed behind the working surface 440.Placing the flat panel display behind and below the working surface 440permits imaged persons on the screen (not shown) to appear with theirtorso originating from the table and eliminates the lower bezel (notnumbered) from being viewed by the local videoconferencing participants.The effect is a greater sense that the imaged person on the flat panelscreen 436 is sitting at the table. The working surface 440 may be anytype of table, desk, counter, and the like.

FIG. 48 illustrates the nano stem camera 400 built into the workingsurface 440 and it has a raising and lowering motion 446 by a surfacehole 444. The nano stem camera 400 can be positioned by the raising andlowering motion 446 manually or by a mechanized motor (not shown). Thelocal participant may select the desired height of the nano stem camera400. FIG. 49 illustrates a quick disconnect mount 445 for the nano stemcamera 400 so the local participants can add the nano stem camera 400 infront of the flat panel screen 436 during videoconferencing. Preferablythe mount 445 aligns the camera forward when inserted so no imagealignment procedures are need before a videoconference. FIG. 50illustrates the nano stem camera 400 on a stand stem 448 so that thenano stem camera 400 can be moved about on the working surface 440. Thenano stem camera 400 may also telescope up and down while mounted to thestand stem 448 (not shown), similar a motorized car antenna. The standstem 448 may also have a ball mount (not shown) to permit the nano stemcamera 400 to adjust to level and to tilt up and down. Such imageadjustment can also be built into the nano camera 402, into the housingof the nano stem camera 400, or achieved digitally. Such adjustmentsapply to all configurations of the nano stem camera 400 and gooseneckcamera microphone 442 described herein. The configuration of FIG. 50 isideal for desktop computer monitors. The FIGS. 47-50 are shown builtinto the working surface 440 but may, and all other similarillustrations, be built into or onto the actual flat panel display 434or another supporting structure (all not shown).

FIG. 51 illustrates the present invention using the nano stem camera 400in orientation depending on a first imaged person size 502 and a secondimage person size 500. Ideally for the smaller first image person size502, the nano stem camera 400 is mounted below and can move by a firstup and down motion 506. For the larger second image person size 500 thenano stem camera 400 is positioned above and moves in a second up anddown motion 504. The sizes of people on the screen may be the differencein human sizes or the result of image scaling the human proportion tothe desired size. The nano stem camera 400 may have manual selector menuor a gravity detector to automatically flip the image signal when thenano stem camera 400 is turned upside down. The image signal may also beselected to correct an image when captured off of a mirror.

FIG. 52 illustrates the present invention with a lower telescopingreceiver 508 and an upper telescoping receiver 510 for mounting the nanostem camera 400 and the nano stem camera 400 either mechanically ormanually collapses into the receiver 508 by a receiver down direction514 and receiver 510 by a receiver up direction 512. The nano stemcamera 400 does not need to intersect nor interfere with the face of theperson on screen, which would ruin any attempt at have a qualityvideoconference (not shown). The intent is to give the consumer theability to adjust the nano stem camera as desired to a position just outof the way of the face of the person on screen and rely on the distancefrom the user and the person on screen to minimize the parallax angleand thereby affect better eye contact. Further, the extreme narrowconstruction of the nano stem camera 400 and the unnoticeable lens ofthe nano camera 402 sufficiently remove intrusion when placed in frontof group conferencing displays and desktops displays. This is especiallyan improvement over bulky common hinged articulating arm cameras thathave been placed in front of faces on screen for behavioral researchapparatus videoconferencing for decades and other consumer makeshiftsystems for eye contact, blocking the face of the person on screen. Thetelescoping receivers 508 and 510 compactly stows the nano stem camera400, removing from view of the user the elongated stem of the nano stemcamera 400. Consumers will readily adapt numerous ways to mount the nanostem camera 400 with adhesive, hook and loop, clamps, hooks, brackets,quick disconnects, and the like to any type of display, TV, computermonitor, tablets, notebooks, and mobile phones. Ideally, the nano camerastem 400 is sold with numerous attaching systems to adapt to manyconsumer desired uses.

FIG. 53 illustrates a common dual videoconferencing screen system with adual image display 518 with adjacent image screen 516. Two nano stemcameras 400 are positioned near center and originate from below. Thenano stem cameras 400 can originate from above and also be positionedfurther apart. The nano stem camera 400 can also be placed in betweenthe displays 518 at eye level (not shown). FIG. 54 illustrates thepresent invention in a three screen videoconference arrangement withnumerous camera arrangement position options. A three image displays 520with a three image screens 522 are utilized to show a videoconference ata distant location with a similar three screen system. The nano stemcamera 400 can be arranged in a left camera position 526, a centercamera position 524, and a right camera position 528. Or avideoconference can use three nano stem cameras 400 positioned in thecenter camera position 524. The nano stem cameras 400 can be placed inany arrangement above and below depending upon the desired configurationand experience. The nano steam camera 400 can, as well, be placed inbetween the bezels of displays 520 (not shown).

FIG. 55. Illustrates the present invention where the nano camera 402 hasa quick connect support stem 530 for transmitting image signals andpower. The quick connect support stem 530 is placed in a micro hole 532in the flat panel display 434. Mounted behind is a nano camerareceptacle 534 which may have image processing electronics. FIG. 56illustrates the nano camera 402 in a nano housing 536. Image signaltransmission is made possible by a built in wireless image transmitter540. Power may be presented to the nano camera 402 by wire or wireless(both not shown). The nano housing 538 is held to the image screen 436by friction adhesive 538. Preferably the friction adhesive 538 leaves noresidue on the flat panel screen 436. The illustration of FIG. 56eliminates a major portion of the stem of the nano stem camera 400. FIG.57 presents a power generation by a photovoltaic cell 542 or similarfunctioning energy producing device where the nano camera 402 is poweredby the light emanating from the flat panel screen 436. A special imageprocessing software can coordinate a bright light to always appear inthe spot the nano housing 536 is affixed to (not shown). FIG. 58conceals an image transmission and power cable assembly 544 by a flexdisplay 546. It may also conceal a camera electronic board (not shown).The flex display 546 images the exact content on the flat panel screen436 that is being covered up by the flex display 546. A small hole inthe flex display 546 allows the nano camera 402 to capture images. Awire bundle 548 attaches to the image transmission and power cableassembly 544 and a second wire bundle 550 attaches power and videotransmission to the flex display 546. The flex display 546 need not beflexible yet a flexible OLED is preferred.

FIG. 59 illustrates the present invention where a short throw projector554 mounted from below projects an image onto a short throw projectionscreen 552. FIG. 60 illustrates the short throw projector 554 projectingfrom above onto the short throw projection screen 552. In bothconfigurations of FIG. 59 and FIG. 60 the nano stem camera 400 is placedin front of the projection beam so that the projection beam does notimpinge the nano stem camera 400. FIG. 61 illustrates a prior art frontprojection eye contact system that suffers from the common projector 562impinging by an intrusion angle 560 the lens of a conference camera 508in a screen hole 556 cut into a common front projection screen 561. Thelight from the intrusion angle 560 substantially effects image capturewith bright spots and lens flares being captured. The present inventionresolves this prior art problem with the configuration illustrated inFIG. 62. The short throw projector 554 projects upon the short throwprojection screen 554 at such a steep angle that the conference camera508 is not impinged by a stopped impingement angle 564. FIG. 63illustrates the common front projection screen 561 being projected uponby the common projector 562. The nano stem camera 400 is unaffected bythe projection beam by a beam shield 566 preventing the beam to impingethe nano stem camera 400 and the lens of the nano camera 402 (notshown).

It is a primary embodiment of the present invention to create a singleimmersive videoconferencing system that serves two distinct modes ofuse. One mode is a close up work mode of use and the second a watchingmode of use. Variations of these modes are herein discussed, but applyto diverse applications from hotel guest rooms to groupvideoconferencing rooms and even personal videoconferencing systems.Personal videoconferencing is ubiquitous, but it is nearly alwaysexperienced on a notebook, tablet, PC or mobile phone. Rarely doconsumers have the ability to access high quality videoconferencing withlife-size images and improved eye contact. Guests in hotels are usuallypresented with small flat panels displays and have little innovation inenhancing the guest experience. The present invention discloses uniquehotel guest room as an immersive entertainment and work environment.Consumers have applications they use for videoconferencing such as Skypeor Face Time, yet do not have the expertise to know how to coordinatethese applications on immersive display systems. The recent availabilityof 4K resolution flat panel displays offers unique opportunities toinnovate new ways to use immersive displays for multiple modes of use.

FIG. 64 illustrates an ultra HD flat panel display 601 with an ultra HDscreen 602. Ultra HD is herein described as TV resolutions above 1080lines a resolution and preferably 4K resolution or higher. Further,ultra HD is to be understood as immersive meaning the ultra HD screen602 is larger than 50″ diagonally measured and is preferably a display80″ diagonally measured and above. Ultra HD resolution and the largedisplay scale permits a primary embodiment of the present invention ofcreating a computer resolution screen portion 600 to be scaled smallerinside the ultra HD screen 602 (as seen in FIG. 64). 1080 lines of TVresolution has been ineffective to permit close up viewing of computerdata because of the limitation of the native resolution. Ultra HD flatpanels permit such high resolution that sitting close to the ultra HDscreen 602 and seeing the screen portion 600 is effectively the sameexperience as sitting close up to a computer monitor. This permits anentire new immersive way to use computer images in personal workspaces.Typically, in videoconferencing group meeting rooms, a computer signalis fed to a TV and people observe the image in a meeting room from faraway. Because people are far away the detail of resolution is not acritical issue. The present invention discloses unique embodiments thatconfigure work station computer images for videoconferencing where localparticipants sit up in a close work zone 620 to view the ultra HD image602 on the ultra HD display 601 (see FIG. 66).

Unique to this present invention the screen portion 600 contains acomputer image from an operating system GUI such as that provided byApple or Microsoft. Alternatively, it may have an image from a dedicatedvideoconferencing appliance. The image in the screen portion 600 ispreferably large enough to show a life size imaged person 603 with aremainder of the ultra HD screen 602 with a vacant area 607. That vacantarea 607 surrounding the image portion 600 is used for lighting during avideoconference with TV lights 605. The TV lights 605 may use anyportion of the vacant area 607 of the display and may be configured withnumerous lighting gradients, color temperatures, brightness intensity,positions, and size in the vacant area 607. The screen portion 600 ispreferred to be located on the ultra HD screen 602 at a lower imagesection 414 so that it appears in the portion 600 life-size image person603 is sitting on the other side of the working surface 440 from a localparticipant (not shown).

The flat panel display can as well image a full screen videoconferenceon the ultra HD screen 602 (FIG. 65). A first life-size groupparticipant 606, a second life-size group participant 608, and a thirdlife-size group participant 610 are all seen on the ultra HD screen 602.The nano stem camera 400 with the nano camera 402 is positioned andadjusted to improve eye contact by raising or lowering over the ultra HDscreen 602. The full screen videoconference can be viewed from close upor far away.

FIG. 66 illustrates the present invention built into a hotel guest room612. The room is configured with a close work zone 620 where a guest 618sitting at a chair 619 at a pull out table 616 which is connected to along working surface 614. The guest 618 is positioned less than 7 feetaway from the ultra HD screen 602 of the ultra HD display 601. The guest618 is able to access his favorite computer operating system and selecta scaled image where the computer image fills the screen portion 600.Alternatively, the guest may select a computer image to fill the entireultra HD screen 602 and positions various windows to the lower imagearea 414 and leaves other applications in other areas of the ultra HDdisplay 601. Essentially, in this configuration of the ultra HD imagedisplay 601 becomes akin to a bulletin board where an application windowis available for quick glance, but not for intensive interaction due tothe excessive eye and head motion strain. Further, observing motionimages such as movies and video games it is preferred to not fill theentire screen when the guest 618 is in the close work zone 620. Motionsickness and headaches can occur when full screen fast motion contentfills a wide field-of-view. The guest can select his favoritevideoconferencing applications and observe the experience in the screenportion 600. Many videoconferencing software applications will notwithstand quality requirements of 4K resolution and a large immersivescreen. The image screen portion 600 effectively scales the image sothat these applications can be seen life-size, but not so large theyexpose codec compression and other image artifacts. Scaling is achievedby software and hardware.

The hotel may provide a premium conferencing solution where a superiorsoft client application or appliance based videoconferencing system isused that provides a near pristine HD resolution at full screen and even4K resolution. A network for superior performance videoconferencingrequires that the remote people have the same experience for allparticipants. The present invention discloses a hosted network wherehotel guest rooms, business centers, subject matter experts of any type,hotel staff, and other guest rooms in other hotels around the globeshare in this unique high-end videoconferencing experience. Further, thesystem can also be deployed in homes, businesses, and other commercial,retail, finance, education and government facilities. The close up workzone 620 may be used with or without the screen portion 600 forvideoconferencing.

The same ultra HD screen 602 of the ultra-image display 601 is viewed bythe guest 618 in a watching zone 622. While in a bed 624 or a chair 626the guest 618 can enjoy wide screen immersive movies, TV, sports, andgaming. The distance beyond 7 feet from the ultra HD screen 602 definesthe watching zone 622. Modifications of the distance may be based onuser preference, yet the principal of the watching zone 622 and theclose work zone 620 having different intended uses remains constant. Theultra HD screen 602 is so substantially large it can be used to createthe appearance of an environmental immersive wall. Content of nature,outer space, and other scenery may play constantly and selected by thehotel or the guest 618 to add room ambiance. Further, the ultra HDscreen 602 plays all sorts of content from any transmission means suchas satellite, a media server, and the like.

The ultra HD screen 602 may also be used in live videoconferencing tohotel staff as a live concierge service. The hotel staff can appearsitting or standing up and seen on the large immersive ultra HD screen602 in full screen. 4k resolution videoconferencing would be ideal andsince the lower bezel (not shown) of the ultra HD display 601 is hiddenbehind the back edge of the working surface 614, it appears the hotelstaff person is just standing on the other side of the working surface614. Further, a series of 4k resolution hotel video productions can becreated with the life-size person arranged proportionally to the ultraHD screen 602 to create a life-like in-person experience. For example,as soon the guest 618 enters his room for the first time a video playsof a hotel staff person greeting them to the hotel. The video can playautomatically by numerous triggers such as a room key activation and aproximity sensor.

A primary concern for hotel room based videoconferencing is the awkwardimage capturing of the bed 624. As seen in FIG. 66, a room block 628prevents a guest from sending an image of himself with a bed in thebackground as captured by the nano stem camera 400. The room block 628may be achieved by drapes, partitions, panels, a fold away bed, a bedtransforming into a sofa, a camera angle aimed up slightly to remove thebed from view, architectural features, a room décor feature, and afurniture feature. For example, a headboard (not shown) of the bed 624could be constructed as a lightweight panel and simply rested at thefoot side of the bed and thereby completely eliminate the appearance ofthe bed when captured by the camera. More elaborate systems of modifyingthe actual captured image with image background replacement have beendemonstrated. The image of the guest room 612 can be changed or only aportion and it may be done with any type of image processing andmanipulating techniques. One such technique captures an image of theguest room 612 without the guest 618 in it and then a software programcan identify when the guest enters the image so that the guest is seenin the final processed image, but not the actual room. Another simpletechnique is to use optical or image processing to create a shallowdepth-of-field so that the guest remains in perfect focus but thebackground with the bed 624 is out of focus making the bed 624 no longeridentifiable.

FIG. 67 illustrates the present invention where the ultra HD display 601slides in a left and right direction 630 to a position away from thefoot of the bed 624 to a side area with guest 618. This gives the guest618 more area to move about while in the close work zone 620. It alsogives the guest 618 the ability to position the ultra HD display 601 inthe ideal position for viewing from the bed 624 and from the chair 626.Alternatively, the room 612 can have a dedicated workstation 632 at asecond guest position 634. The workstation 632 may also be an ultra HDscreen and have videoconferencing features. The workstation 632 can beoriented so the ultra HD screen 602 can be seen in the background of avideoconferencing image originating from a camera (not shown) at theworkstation 632. Preferably the workstation 632 is an eye contact systemto enable perfect eye contact while videoconferencing.

FIG. 68 illustrates the present invention for a hotel room 612 (room notshown in close work zone 620 (see FIGS. 66 and 67) mode of use. Theultra HD display 601 with the ultra HD screen 602 is positioned so thatthe guest 618 can enjoy the screen 602 close up. The pull out table 616is out and the nano stem camera 400 is engaged upward protruding fromthe long working surface 614. A control pad 640 controls the entiredevice and may be any technology such as touch and any communicationsprotocol. A line speaker 641 on both sides of the ultra HD display 601permits the illusion that voices are emanating from the center of thescreen. Other audio speakers can be used instead of the line speakers641. A connector cubby lid 638 conceals a cubby box 656 (FIG. 69) withan electrical sockets 654, an AV connections 652, a computer USB andmonitor connectors 650, a table microphone 644, microphone indictor “on”light 646, and a hard “off” switch 648 for the microphone 644. The longworking surface 614 is attached to a hotel room credenza base 642 thatcan include numerous features including a minibar, a desk, a diningtable, a cabinet, a wardrobe, and drawers (all not shown).

FIG. 70 illustrates the configuration described for FIG. 68. The ultraHD display 602 is positioned to the left with the pull out table 618retracted. The nano stem camera 400 is fully retracted and the nanocamera 402 is concealed into the long working surface 614. The nano stemcamera 400 retracted offers total video privacy for the hotel guest 618.Other ways to ensure to the guest 618 that the camera is off and cannotcapture images is by shuttering the camera, disconnecting the camera andblocking the camera. A rear furniture well 658 permits the ultra HDdisplay 601 to be lowered to conceal its lower bezel (not shown) andpermitting the bottom perimeter of the ultra HD screen 602 to alignflush with the long working surface 614. Imaged people (not shown) onthe ultra HD screen 602 appear to be sitting on the other side of theworking surface 614. The ultra HD display 601 receives content from anIPTV device 662, which includes any recorded and live TV, avideoconferencing codec appliance device 664 and a desktop computerdevice 668 (as seen in FIG. 71). These devices may be built as one or inany combination. Other connections and devices that work interconnectedto the ultra HD display 601 is a satellite dish, a TV cable, a phoneline, a DSL, a public internet, a media server, a hotel propertymanagement system, a private data network, and an analogvideoconferencing system. An analog videoconferencing system may be usedfor internal hotel communications since no compression would berequired. Further, the ultra HD screen 602 may be touch sensitive andcan swivel out to form more comfortable viewing angles.

All the embodiments of the hotel guest room 612 (FIGS. 64-71) and itsunique dual zone mode of use are equally applicable to other types ofrooms. Certainly a home bedroom could share all the same embodiments asthe hotel guest room 612. More specific is a traditional conferencingroom 676 (FIG. 72) that illustrates the close work zone 620 where ameeting participant 671 sits at the pull out table 616 with a tightcamera angle 670 from the nano stem camera 400. In the watching zone 622resides a common meeting room table 670 of which all seats (seats notnumbered) are captured by a wide camera angle 672. The present inventionenables group conferencing to serve for a large group and a smallergroup. When only a few people want to videoconference in commonvideoconferencing rooms they are forced to sit at the end of a bigmeeting room table and look across the table a TV hanging on the wall.This is an awkward and unnatural experience. When the meetingparticipant 671 sits in the close work zone 620 he can select toconference with either a full image over the immersive ultra HD display601 or select a more appropriate portion 600 as described previously.FIG. 73 is an illustration of an office 678 with a worker 681 in theclose work zone 620. Certainly, an ultra HD display 601 would need topermit a scaled window to manage content over such a wide area, andespecially relevant using the portion 600 for videoconferencing. Theworker 681 may also sit in chairs 682 and observe the ultra HD display601 from the watching zone 622. An office desk 680 can be used by theworker 681 in both the zone 620 or 622.

FIG. 74 illustrates the ultra HD display 601 with its ultra HD screen602 and an eye contact camera placement. The image portion 600 displaysthe image of a remote eye contact participant 602 whose image came froma videoconferencing system that had an aligned camera with the displaythat enabled eye contact (not shown). Camera placement 686 illustratesthe principle that the present invention may use any camera in anyplacement, other than the nano stem camera 400. Ideally, the presentinvention can utilize any type of eye contact display solution providedthe display is large and provides the ultra HD resolution. No matter thecamera type and its placement, all are applicable to the presentinvention with the close work zone 620 and the watching zone 622.

FIG. 75 illustrates the present invention where the image portion 600 ismoved to a left side 688 and that portion displays a life-size imagedperson 603. The vacant area 607 of the ultra HD screen 602 is used foran additional content window 690. The additional content window 690 maybe data sharing, an interactive whiteboard, a TV signal, anadvertisement, a computer image signal, a GUI window, a hotelcommunication, to name only a few. Ideally, the local participant canselect a view that best suits his needs. For example, the portion 600may remain centered and the additional content window 690 is made smallenough to fit into the vacant area 607 of the ultra HD screen 602.Alternatively, the ultra HD screen 602 is entirely filled with agraphical user interface of a software operating system and the portion600, along with the additional content window 690, are independentsegments in the interface.

FIG. 76 illustrates the ultra HD image screen 602 surrounded by a softbank conference light 692. The soft back conference light 692 is usedwhen the ultra HD display 602 displays full screen videoconferencingwith the first life-size group participant 606, the second life-sizegroup participant 608, and the third life-size group participant 610.FIG. 77 illustrates various options for audio speaker placement. Optionsinclude a left speaker 694, a right speaker 696, a top speaker 698, anda table speaker 700. Ideally, the speakers are arranged to simulateaudio emanating from the ultra HD screen 602 to give the impressionvoices originate with the people seen on the ultra HD screen 602.Modifications of lights and speakers will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art.

The present invention discloses the use of stretched plastic film inmeeting rooms for videoconferencing. The use of stretched film for stageand entertainment applications have been well documented and theinventors' have utilized stretched film for over two decades asdisclosed in several patents. Applying stretch plastic film in areflected Pepper's Ghost arrangement for corporate classvideoconferencing presents numerous challenges for a successfuldeployment. Especially complicated is the dual function displayingholographic appearing augmented reality images simultaneous with a livevideo production for videoconferencing in meeting room environments.Issues of image brightness, image wash out, exposed optics, concealingmechanisms, conference lighting, interactivity with floating objects,and configuration in a common meeting room with limited space are allthe subject of the present invention.

FIG. 78 illustrates the present augmented reality invention of an angledfilm 720 that is both transparent and reflective. The angled film 720 isstretched to form a distortion free room wide transparent reflectivepanel. The angled film 720 is transparent so that a room camera 706,disposed on a background side 716 of a meeting room 702, captures animage through the film 720 of both a sitting conferee 754 and a standingconferee 762. The camera also captures a table portion 756 of a tabletop758. The angled film 720 also permits the conferees to peer through tothe background side 716 of the meeting room 702. The room camera 706 isconcealed by at least one of a room décor, a wall, an architecturalfeature, a piece of furniture, a façade wall panel, and a paint colorsimilar to the environment (all not shown). Also, the room camera 706may be any type of camera used for videoconferencing transmissionincluding exotic type cameras such as 4K resolution, 3D, multi-sensor,multi-lens, and the like. Also, a mirror or series of mirrors (notshown) may reflect the image captured by the room camera 706. The angledfilm 720 also reflects an image on a slanted image screen 736 creating avirtual image 712. The slanted image screen 736 and the angled film 720are both inclined at angles to enable the virtual image 712 to bevertically oriented substantially straight up. A vertical space 714establishes the height of the virtual image 712 starts from the floorlevel. The vertical space 714 is between 24 inches and 32 inches so thatin the virtual image 712 appears as if the video conferenced people areat table height (not shown). The angled film 720 is held in position bya bottom rigid frame 718 and additional elements are described in detailin FIG. 80. The angled film 720 intersects a wall slit 732 in a rigidpartition wall 752.

FIG. 78 further illustrates a background display 704, which can be anytype of display including flat panels, video walls, rear projection,front projection, and the like. The images on the background display 704may simulate the room décor creating the illusion that the backgrounddisplay 704 is not a display but a solid architectural element in theroom. The background display 704 can also show content that works inconcert with the virtual image 712. Special attention is needed so thatthe background display 704 does not show content so bright that itsubstantially washes out the virtual image 712. A monitor 708 on a riserlift cabinet 710 enables additional content in the room. For example,data or a videoconference can be seen on the monitor 708. The backgrounddisplay 704 and the monitor 708 are in the room 702 on the backgroundside 716.

FIG. 78 further illustrates a projection system consisting of an upwardmounted projector 740 reflecting a first small mirror 744 and thenreflecting a second large floor mirror 738 and finally imaging its beamupon the slanted image screen 736. The slanted image screen isapproximately measured 120 inches diagonal allowing multiple people tobe sitting and standing in the virtual image 712. Those skilled in theart will appreciate the extreme tight optical pathway configured toachieve such a massive image. The upward projector 740 requires aprojector of about 12,000 lumens and a very short throw lens. Theslanted image screen 736 is a stretched grey plastic rear screen. Thedisclosed projection pathway is only a suggestion and other types ofprojection such as a front projector above shooting upon a frontprojection screen below is certainly feasible and within the scope ofthe present invention (not shown). The upward projector 740 is mountedinto a table base 742. The table base has forced air passed through itto keep the upward projector 740 cool (not shown). The table also has asound dampening to reduce the sound of the projector (not shown).

FIG. 78 further illustrates highly controlled conferee viewingperspective. The sitting conferee 754 has an upward viewing perspective747 that is obstructed by a hanging soffit 748 lowered by a soffithanger 728. The hanging soffit 748 may include a directional conferencelight 734 aimed toward the conferees 754 and 762. The light is highlydirectional so as to not impinge the slanted image screen 736. Thehanging soffit 748 hides from the conferees' observation a top film edge731 of the angled film 720. Further, the hanging soffit 748 conceals ablack out substrate 726 from the conferees 754 and 762 view. Theblackout substrate 726 prevents ceiling reflections on the camera 706side of the angled film 720. By doing so the camera image capturedthrough the angled film 720 is free of any ceiling reflections from areflective angle 722. Concealing both the top film edge 731 and theblackout substrate 726 is to eliminate any foreign elements unnatural toa common meeting room and thus expose the optical pathway to theconferees 754 and 762. The sitting conferee 754 has a downward viewingperspective 749 and that perspective conceals from observation theslanted image screen 736 by a table top riser 746. A primary embodimentof the present invention is to conceal the visible technology so thatthe conferees can enjoy an augmented reality conference that really does“trick” the mind making it look like the virtually imaged people (notshown) residing in the virtual image 712 are actual people in themeeting room 702.

Besides directional conference light 734 contained in the hanging soffit748 the conferees are further illuminated by a second bank ofdirectional conference lights 730 by an angled downward direction 750.Additional directional lights may be added such as pinpoint lights (notshown) from behind the conferees 754 and 762 to add illumination to theconferees' hair and shoulders, and to help separate their image capturedby the room camera 706 against a room light absorbing black substrate760. The conferees 754 and 762 images are captured by the room camera706 and sent via a videoconferencing system to another exact room 702 ata distant location where their image is displayed with the blackbackground surrounding their image (not shown) and the portion that isblack is see-through revealing the distant rooms background side 716.Likewise, the room 702 virtually images conferees from the distantlocation (not shown) and what is black in that image is not seen and issee-through revealing the background side of room 702. A motorizedroller 764 drops a matching room décor panel 760 to conceal the roomlight absorbing black substrate 766 when not in videoconference mode. Aspotlights 724 illuminates the background side of the room 716 and aninteracting person 768 standing in the background side 716 (see FIG.79).

FIG. 79 illustrates additional embodiments of the present augmentedreality invention disclosed in FIG. 78. The interacting standing person768 is interacting with a volumetric 3D object 770 located at thevirtual image 712. The volumetric 3D object 770 is actually a 2-D imageof a 3D appearing object produced on a slanted flat panel 784 andreflected by the angled film 720. Objects that have shading, reflectionand motion, and are surrounded in a black field will appear 3D in thepresent invention and seemingly float in the middle of the meeting room702. The object 770 can also be fully interactive where the interactingstanding person 768 motion is detected by a Microsoft Kinect 782 throughpattern recognition and software aligning the person's motions with theobject 770. The result is the appearance that the person 770 is holding,moving, and modifying the object 770. The interactive standing person768 sees the object by a down glance 773 on the slanted flat panel 784.The interacting standing person 768 also simultaneously views areflection of his image in the camera side of the angled film 720 and isable to exactly align his hands to the volumetric 3D object 770. Thesame operation is also ideal for navigating operating systems usingMicrosoft Kinect or a similar motion detection device. Other imagessurrounded in black also produce a stunning experience. For example, thepresent invention utilizes Microsoft Power Point and coordinated slideswith a black background to produce impressive presentations. Thesepresentations can originate from a simple tablet and its image is seenfloating across the width of the meeting room 702. A second MicrosoftKinect 780 captures the motion of the sitting conferee 754 and thestanding conferee 762. The conferees are also able to manipulate theobject 770 or other content in the virtual image 712.

FIG. 79 further illustrates the embodiments of placing a data screen 780inside the tabletop 758. The conferees 754 and 762 are able tosimultaneously view the virtual image 712 and the data screen 780 tofurther enhance the experience. In one configuration the data screensshow a multipoint image from several remote videoconference locationsand through voice activation an image of a location on the data screen780 can automatically switch and appear on the virtual image 712 (notshown). Also, room controls may be seen on the data screen 780.

FIG. 79 may utilize any type of display and certainly the projectionsystem of FIG. 78 is interchangeable with the slanted flat panel 784 ofFIG. 79. As display technology advances any and all types of displays,including 3D, are applicable to the present configuration of the meetingroom 702. The display technology should be able to produce true black inorder to eliminate any milky hue in the virtual image 712. FIG. 79 alsoillustrates a ceiling reflection block of louvers 774 constructed oflouvers that from the perspective of the camera 706 side of the angledfilm 720 it appears black in the reflection and is free of any ceilingreflection from a reflective angle 722. Further, from a conferee viewingdirection 786 the louvers 774 appear white in a color or similar to theroom décor. A first cross beam 776, a second cross beam 778, and a thirdcross beam 780 span the room between rigid partition walls 752 with onewall on each side of the room supporting the beams.

FIG. 80 of the present invention illustrates a front view of theconfiguration of FIG. 78 and elements of FIG. 79. The bottom rigid frame718 is seen connected to a left side angled frame 790 and a right sideangled frame 792, and the angled film 720 is attached to the bottom andthe sides (not shown). An unattached angled film portion 793 leaves thefilm 720 exposed and is nearly unnoticeable. Attaching on the top of theangled film 720 could occur behind the hanging soffit 748 (not shown).FIG. 80 also illustrates the virtual image 712 with a first remotevirtual conferee 794, a second remote virtual conferee 796, and a thirdremote virtual conferee 798, and a fourth remote virtual conferee 800.

FIG. 81 illustrates the present invention of FIGS. 78-80 wherein theimages produced and seen as a virtual image 712 are proportionate inimage size and life-size conferees are the same as a remote site 804.Ideally, the room 702 connects to the same configuration of the room atthe remote site. In cases where the room 702 connects viavideoconferencing to other types of room configurations with differentsize screens image processing can modify images to present life-sizepeople in the virtual image 712. Image processing includes layeringimages together, seaming images, and extracting color from the imagebackground to isolate the person on black. Any type of image isolatingtechniques are applicable to the present invention to add a surroundingblack color around the images of the conferees including chromakey anddigital background replacement.

FIG. 82 illustrates the various modes the present invention described inFIGS. 78-81. The modes engage audio/visual control and switchingequipment including an audio switching 830, a video switching 832, and aroom light switching 834. The modes for control are a telepresence mode816, a theater mode 818, a 3D visualization mode 820, an applicationmode 822, a Power Point augmented reality mode 824, and a gaming mode826. All the modes communicate by the control connection 828 and themodes have control of room light scenes, switch the audio and videosignals, and access content sources. For example, in the theater mode818, at the touch of a button, most all room lights would be turned offand the audio switch 830 and video switch 832 would engage a moviecontent source (not shown).

The present invention described in FIGS. 78-82 may also use for itsdisplay a front projection system (FIG. 83 Prior Art) from a ceilingmounted projector 838 reflecting an image from a ceiling mirror 840 andimaged upon a lower projection screen 836 and observed by a person 844.This arrangement is common in theater stage systems. A significantdrawback to this system is the projector protrudes too far forward andadds bulk to the optical arrangement. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,639,151 and5,890,787 to the present inventors disclose a superior optical pathwaypass-through reflective projection (FIG. 84 prior art) where theprojector beam actually strikes and passes through the angled film 720in a strike area 842. The prior art patents teach that pass-throughreflective projection can be used in any configuration for anyapplication, which would include the desktop, meeting room, andtheatrical stage. The patents also disclose the use of Mylar, which maybe used for the angled film 720.

FIG. 85 illustrates a novel embodiment of the present invention wherethe angled film 720 is stretched by a left flexible stretch bar 846, aright flexible stretch bar 848, a bottom flexible stretch bar 852, and atop flexible stretch bar 850. One or 2 sides may be removed if neededand still create a stretched distortion free reflective surface. Ratherthan pulling by points, the flexible stretch bars are attached by wideflex panels 854 that offers greater stability while stretching. Theflexible bars may be constructed of any flexible material but ispreferred that graphite composites are used for their high strength andeven flexing characteristics. The angled film 720 is attached to thebars in one of numerous means common in the film stretching art. Theflexible bars provide a greater ease of creating a distortion freeangled film 720 since the flex allows greater fine tuning, rather thanusing a rigid bar such as metal tubes.

FIG. 86 illustrates a superior method for attaching the angled film 720to a rigid or a flexible bar 858. The bar 858 is a tube with a slit forthe angled film 720 to pass by. A solid puck 862 made of metal or acomposite is used to wrap the film around and may be optionally taped tothe puck 862 before rolling or during roll turns (not shown). The angledfilm 720 is then wrapped around the puck 862 numerous times so that itlocks in on itself by friction. An optional clamp base 861 with atension bolt 860 presses the clamp base 861 upon the puck 862 furthersecuring the film to the puck 862. The present invention does not useany invasive measure to secure the angled film 720. It does not glue,crush with abrasive grit or puncture the film, all of which weaken thefilm 720 and could cause a tear point while stretching. The bar 858 ispulled to a right pull direction 866 by the wide flex panel 854. FIG. 87Illustrates a flex member round bar 870 of which the film 720 is sleevedin a slit (not shown) and rolled upon itself locking in upon itself byfriction. A side bracket 874 holds an axel end 876 securing the flexmember round bar 870. Sprocket teeth 872 adjust by a lever 878 thetensioning of the angled film 720 in the right pull direction 866. Thetensioning methods of FIGS. 86 and 87 work in concert with at least oneother stretching mechanism side (minimum two sides) in order to fullystretch the angled film 720 (not shown). The embodiments of FIGS. 78-87may stretch the angled film by 720 by any means well known in the artfor decades.

The angled film 720 is preferably made of a high strength polyester filmand a common product name is Mylar. It is also preferred that the filmis coated with a beamsplitter coating to increase its reflectivity.Often these coatings are highly sophisticated multi-layer dielectricstack coatings. Coatings that are highly transparent, yet has areflectivity of about 40% is preferred over uncoated optics that have alow reflectivity of about 10%. Any and all materials used for thepresent invention and all embodiments for all configurations disclosedherein utilizing films should meet all regulatory safety standards.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous options for theangled film 720 in regards to composition, thickness, and coatings.

FIG. 88 illustrates a reflective transparent panel 888 positioned withan eye contact user 910 on one side of the panel 888 and a black backboard 880 positioned on the opposing side of the panel 888. On the eyecontact 910 user side of the panel 888 a color flat panel 892 ispositioned with an integral color screen 890 aimed upward and reflectedby the panel 888 forming a reflected color virtual image 882. The blackback board 880 is made of a black light absorbing material such as blacktelescope flocking. The reflected color virtual image 882 is positionedadjacent to the black back board 880 so that the reflected color virtualimage 882 appears bright and with dynamic colors from the perspective ofthe eye contact user 910. A color camera 904 is aimed through the panel888 to capture an eye contact image of the eye contact user 910 whileviewing the reflected color virtual image 882. A dark surface 894 may beused so that the eye contact user does not see unwanted reflectionreflected at the top of the panel 888. The dark surface may be at tableheight and actually be a table placed in front of the configuration andused by the eye contact user 910.

The side view FIG. 88 and the front view FIG. 89 illustrates a visibletop black border 884 seen from an up perspective 912 of the eye contactusers 910, a left black border 896, a right black border 898, and ablack bottom side 900. From the eye contact user 910 perspective itappears the reflected color virtual image 882 has a black TV bezelaround it. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention (FIGS.90 and 91) the reflected color virtual image 882 is substantiallyperfectly aligned to the back black board 880 and the image 882 isadjusted to the board 880, which is cut to match so no black border isseen. To achieve this exact alignment means the reflected color virtualimage 882 needs to be substantially vertically straight up and adjacentto the black back board 880. While it is preferred no black border isseen the black bottom side 900 may be visible to support the black backboard 880, yet the border sides 896 and 898, and the black border top884 are eliminated Eliminating the black borders assists the eye contactuser 910 to have an improved immersive telepresence experience. In sucha case the image of the distant conferee (not shown) is seen in thereflected color virtual image 882 and absent the black borders, thedistant conferee appears more life-like and present in a room (notshown) with the eye contact user 910.

Further, the present invention FIG. 90 illustrates a black hood 906 thatprevents reflection from the ceiling falling upon the back side of thepanel 888 and thereby impinging the image capturing of the color camera904 through the panel 888 of the eye contact user 910. The black hood906 is constructed of black material so as to completely disappear inthe middle of the black back board 880 from the perspective of the eyecontact user 910's view. The black hood 906 is carefully aligned betweenthe black back board 880 and the panel 888 so that from the eye contactuser's 910 view of the black hood 906 does not extend beyond the upperspective 912 protruding beyond a top 902 of the black back board 880.A gap 908 is required to prevent the protruding to occur. Likewise, thesame gap is required for the grouping of eye contact users with a firsteye contact user 926, a second eye contact user 928, a third eye contactuser 930, and a fourth eye contact user 932 (FIG. 92 top view). Here thegrouping of eye contact users have a far left viewing perspective 920 ofwhich a right gap 915 permits the black hood 906 to not protrude beyondthe right side of the black back board 880. In the same fashion, the farright viewing perspective 922 correlates to a left gap 914 which permitsthe black hood 906 to not protrude beyond the left side of the blackback board 880. As a result the configuration allows one user or manyusers to enjoy the eye contact invention and not see the black hood 906which is fully concealed by having the black hood 906 fully absorbed bythe color black against the black back board 880. Further, the blackhood 906 is configured so that it does not, from wide viewing angles,protrude beyond the perimeter of the reflected color virtual image 882and the black back board 880. In addition the color camera 904 permits awide camera shot to capture the grouping of the eye contact users 926,928, 930, and 932 with a left side camera image side 916 and a rightcamera image side 918. Further, the black hood 906 is constructed wideenough to permit that wide camera view, yet not so wide as to protrudebeyond and outside the reflected color virtual image 882 adjacent to theblack back board 880.

The present invention further embodies many unique ways to collaborateand use asymmetrical screen arrangements as seen in FIG. 92. Thegrouping of the eye contact users 926, 928, 930, and 932 preferablyexperience life-size immersive image of distant conferees displayed inthe reflected color virtual image 882 (not shown) and simultaneously canview and interact with secondary images (not shown). Typicalconferencing appliances most often have two, video outputs and typicallythey are integrated with a symmetrical screen side-by-side. Thisarrangement harms the immersive experience since images of life-sizepeople are displayed with data or small multipoint boxes on a screenexactly next to their images (not shown). The side-by-side arrangementdoes not simulate the way people see each other if all were meeting inperson in the same room. A left table well monitor 927 and a right tablewell monitor 929 permit the secondary images to be displayedindependently on one monitor or mirror displayed with the secondaryimage on both the table well monitors 927 and 929. The table wellmonitors 927 and 929 are in an area of the table 924 that is darkcolored so as to not be visibly reflected by the panel 886. Data as wellas multi-point can be seen on the well monitors 927 and 929. Inmulti-point, voice activated switching can select small images on thewell monitors to dynamically switch to the reflected color virtual image882 and that image can be transferred to the well monitors 927 and 928.

Further, software application based conferencing can use the wellmonitors 927 and 928, but it is preferred that a left table touchdisplay 923 and a right table touch display 925 are used (FIG. 92). Thispermits the grouping of eye contact users 926, 928, 930, and 932 tointeract with programs, such as a digital white board, and all people inconference can see each other interacting. It is possible that the tabletouch displays 923 and 925 can be switched from computer application tothe data screen of a videoconference appliance Lastly, some users mayprefer touch interaction to occur on a large touch screen 921.Preferably the large touch screen 921 is seen in the view of the colorcamera 904 at the sides of the telepresence table 924 or in the back ofthe room (not shown). Participants at the remote location would then beable to see the grouping of the eye contact users standing, sitting, andinteracting with the large touch screen 921. Also, unique to the presentinvention is that this eye contact configuration can be used as a hybridconferencing system where, at the touch of the button on a controlsystem (not shown), the user can select a traditional videoconferenceusing a Polycom, Life-Size, and Cisco type codec appliance and thenswitch to a PC-based software application for videoconferencing withMicrosoft Lync or Vidyo. The ability to have two discrete systems in oneeye contact solution and can be deployed in any videoconferencingmeeting room resolves the serious issue of clients having to decide oneover the other.

FIGS. 88-92 may use any type of display technology including any type offront or rear projection pathway. The reflective transparent panel 888may be any type of glass, plastic, and stretched plastic film, and mayhave any type of coatings to enhance reflectivity and maintaintransparency. The black back board 880 may be removed by allowing theconsumer to utilize the configuration as an augmented reality system andthe people imaged in the reflected color virtual image 882 may appear tobe in the actual environment of the room (not shown). The color camera904 may be any type of camera and may have pan/tilt/zoom features. Thecamera may have presets so the a user may select the pan/tilt/zoom ofthe camera to select a shot of one, two, three or four or more usersfrom the grouping of eye contact users 926, 928, 930, and 932. Thepresent eye contact configuration described in FIGS. 88-92 may beapplied to an adaptation for a desktop, a meeting room, a kiosk, an ATMmachine, and large stage applications, to name a few. This eye contactconfiguration may also be flipped upside down or turned on its side, aswell as in other embodiment of any other configuration disclosed herein.

The embodiments of FIGS. 88-92 are ideal for video depositions where theconfiguration allows life-size images of people interacting with perfecteye contact. Current video depositions consist of a common camera on atri-pod and the defendant does not look into camera, but rather looks ata lawyer asking questions. The issue with this is when the video isplayed back in court the defendant does not appear to make eye contactwith the jury as a news caster does when looking into a teleprompter.Eye contact is vital for establishing positive emotional reactions liveduring a videoconference and also when viewing recorded images. A uniqueembodiment of the present invention is to utilize the embodiments asdisclosed for FIGS. 88-92 to create a video deposition terminal thatcreates perfect eye contact recordings. The defendant and the lawyereach communicate with their own eye contact system and both see eachother virtually and live while the deposition is being recorded.Ideally, two systems are situated at a law firm so they can converse andbe recorded, but certainly they could also videoconference fromdifferent locations and have the video and audio recorded. Also,videotaped with eye contact can be witnesses, expert witnesses andanyone whose recorded testimony is needed. The present embodiment of theinvention applies to any perfect eye contact videoconferencing systemwhen applied to live and recorded two-way video depositions.

FIG. 93 Illustrates a hotel guest room smart door 936 with a hallwayside door 933 in a public hallway. FIG. 95 illustrates the same smartdoor 936 with an in-room side of the door 935. Both door sides 933 and935 have mounted to it a touch door display 934 with a top portion 936containing a first door camera 942. Further, the touch door display 934has a bottom portion 940 with a second door camera 946, a microphone944, and a speaker 948. Only one camera is needed and the two cameras942 and 946 are optional to permit a better view of tall people andshort people. A standing user (not shown) may select which camera to useor the remote site can select which camera during a videoconference. Thefull color touch display 934 is positioned out of the way of a doorhandle 950 and is mounted where people of any height can see it clearly.The touch door display 934 may be any type of display and of any size. Acustom display in portrait mode can show a life-size person that isapproximately 37″ diagonally measured. Larger and much smaller displays,such as tablets, may be used in portrait mode or standard wide screenlandscape.

The touch door display 934 may contain in it a computer processor forprocessing an operating system and software applications (not shown).One or both of the touch door displays 934 may have a computer builtinto it. Still further, the touch door display 934 on one or both sidesmay be thin client PCs with partial or major computing processingoccurring by a computer in a hotel network, a cloud network, a separateprocessor attached to the door, or a computer in the hotel room (all notshown). It is to be expressly understood, and as described herein, thecomputer processing for the touch door display 934 may be of anycomputer configuration, integral to and separate from the touch doordisplay 934. Foundational to the configuration of the present inventionis that the touch door display 934 can show interactive software that istouch controllable by a standing person. Power and computer signals,monitor signals, and network signals may pass through a door hole 954(FIG. 94) between both sides of the door and also a door channel 952(FIG. 95) can pass the same power and signals Conceivably, wirelesssignals and wireless power technologies can be integrated into thepresent invention.

The smart door 936 has a built-in presence detection which can be usedon one or both sides of the door 932. A general presence detection isthe ability to simply detect when a person is in the proximity of thesmart door 936. Commonly, motion detection and related technologies willintegrate into the present invention. Specific presence detection is anytechnology that enables the display 934 to recognize a specific personin proximity to the display 934. Specific presence detection can bebased on pattern recognition where an image capture device such as oneof the cameras 942 and 946 is able to determine the face of a specificperson. Specific presence detection may also be linked to a room key.The room key may be any technology such as magnetic card swipe, RFID,and a bar code. The guest with this system is given a physical item thatpermits entry and hotels may deploy, as an example, wristbands thattrack the guest's entire activities while on the property. An entrydevice can be as simple as a metal key or a mobile phone with a softwareapplication that engages doors locks by any means. This system may beentirely built into the display 934 or the display 934 may be connectedto any device such as a door handle and entry system device. Systemsthat enable specific presence detection permit a computer and a networkto track the hotel guests throughout their stay and data such as thesmart door opening and closing. Specific presence detection may also bebased on fingerprint or simply typing an access code or other data intothe touch screen of the touch door display 934.

Privacy for a guest is extremely important. The cameras 942 and 946 mayhave physical blocking shutters on them or may be turned away from beingable to capture video toward the guest. Also, the guest may hard shutoff the camera and even physically detach the camera. The microphone mayas well be physically detached, muffled by a physical block of hard shutoff with an indicator light to ensure the guest has privacy.

The smart door 936 is intended to offer a single door with two touchdoor displays on each side of the door and the applications and contenton each side uniquely coordinates a user experience with each other.Those skilled in the art of software programming will appreciate theunique options the present invention offers when creating specificapplications for the smart door 936. Software applications are createdconsidering the idea that people are passing from one side to the otherside of the smart door 936 and the application programming takes thatinto account. For example, a guest swipes a magnetic door key in a lockand that lock communicates to a computer controlling the smart door 936as a guest is entering the room. Instantly the hallway side 933 touchdoor display 934 modifies content to notify that the room is in a “donot disturb” mode. At the same moment, a recorded concierge welcomes theguest on the in-room side 935 touch door display 934. This is only onepossible programmed scenario of hundreds where actions on one side ofthe door directly effects information, content, features andapplications automatically on the other side of the smart door 936.Certainly, many applications do not require informational exchangesbetween sides of the door and nothing herein should limit the presentinvention of the touch door display 934 being used on only one side ofthe door.

FIG. 96 illustrates an outline of custom software applications andcontent distribution 980. Custom software applications are created forthe present invention and may be modified for each hotel clientproperty. The custom software accesses content from a network sourcesuch as a media server or a hotel property management system, which canalso serve to control all of the touch door displays 934 at a hotelproperty. The touch door display 934 may be controlled from a centralserver and update the touch door displays at numerous hotel propertiesglobally. Content may be stored in the cloud, in a server, integratedinto the hotel property management system, and stored with the touchdoor displays 936. Videoconferencing applications and transmissionsystems are integrated into the touch door display 934. Guest contactwith the hotel staff is the primary use and can serve any hotel staffservice at the smart door 936 face-to-face. For privacy the smart door936 and the touch door displays 934 may be engaged as a video and audioreceive and only an audio voice is sent to the staff. Videoconferencingcan apply to any application and can communicate hotel guests with eachother, subject matter expert, and even used for conferencing withfriends, family, and business contacts. The touch door display 934 onthe in-room side 935 may even detach and be used while seated forvideoconferencing. It may even be used as a hand held device for roomcontrols, phone and TV operations (not shown).

As outlined in FIG. 96 a hallway side services application 960 and anin-room side services application 962 are services provided by the hotelto the guest such as room service. A hallway side security application964 and an in-room side security application 966 offer features relatedto guest and hotel security. For example, hallway side camera 942 canserve as a hotel security camera and from the in-room side 935 the guestcan see who is knocking at the door on the hallway side 933. A hallwayemergency application 968 and an in-room emergency application 970provide vital emergency information to the guest. For example, during afire the hallway side touch door displays 934 can provide visual cues onall doors of the escape route, and the in-room side 935 can sound analert and give emergency instructions. A hallway communicationsapplication 972 and an in-room communications application 974 provide avariety of ways for the guest to contact the hotel staff and others. Forexample, texting, emailing, voice calling, and videoconferencing. Ahallway side advertising application 976 and an in-room side advertisingapplication 978 provides to the guest general and targeted advertising.All of the embodiments described herein for FIGS. 93-96 are applicableas described, without the specific hotel features, for use in hospitalrooms, corporate meeting rooms and offices, schools, and governmentfacilities, to name a few.

FIG. 97 illustrates the present videoconferencing invention with a rearprojected transparent screen 1000 used in a group conferencing roomarrangement. Group conferencing is more than one person in the room andmore than one person on the screen 1000. With that said all that isdisclosed herein is as well uniquely applied to personal conferencingone person to another person. As discussed previously remoteparticipants (not shown) are image produced among a black background andthat image with the remote participants and black background isprojected onto the transparent screen 1000. A local meeting roomparticipants 982 view the remote imaged participants (not shown) imagedon the screen 1000 and the portion of the image projected on the screenthat is black (not shown) is see-through. The black portion of the imageprojects no light on the screen 1000 so it remains see-through from theperspective of the local meeting room participants 982 who see brightimaged remote participants sitting and standing amongst a meeting roombackground 998 visible around them.

FIG. 97 further illustrates a meeting room black light absorbing wall999 for the nano stem camera 400 to capture images of the localparticipants 982 against the wall 999. The nano stem camera stem 400retracts in a direction 994 into a screen stand 992. The image of thelocal participants 982 may be video conferenced to a similar system asseen in FIG. 97 and appear at a remote side as if standing and sittingin the actual room. The effect is extremely impressive in creating avery life-like experience. The nano stem camera 400 can also be placedbehind the screen 1000 and aimed through the screen to capture an imageof the local meeting room participants. The gooseneck camera microphone442 can be used instead of the nano stem camera 400 in any of thepresent configurations. The gooseneck camera microphone 442 isespecially helpful since it raises the camera for better eye contact andlooks like a real object that would be placed in front of a real person.The gooseneck camera microphone 442 adds an additional real world objectmaking the image of remote participants that much more real appearingwhere they are sitting and standing amongst the meeting room background998. The nano stem camera 400 can also be placed behind the screen 1000and aimed through the screen to capture an image of the localparticipants 982.

FIG. 97 further illustrates a meeting room table 988 with a meetingtabletop 986 is positioned in the middle of a meeting room floor 1004.Chairs may be placed on a side of the table near the wall 999 and on theside with the screen 1000 (not shown). The rear projected transparentscreen 1000 is built upon a moving mechanism such as wheels (not shown)that permits the screen 1000 to move toward the table 988 and away fromthe table 988 in a back and forth direction 996. An HD projector 1002also may move with the screen 1000 or remain locked in position. Movingthe screen closer and further away from the meeting room table 988permits the meeting room to be used as a telepresence room and amultipurpose gathering room with the screen 1000. In telepresence mode,the local meeting room participants 982 sit on one side of the table andthe screen 1000 is moved close to the meeting room table 988. Inmultipurpose gathering room mode the screen 1000 pushes away and chairscan be used on both sides of the meeting room table 988. Telepresencerooms are often inflexible meeting rooms and the present invention fullyresolves that issue with chars being able to be placed on both sides ofthe table. FIG. 98 illustrates a moved away extra space 1003 whichpermits chairs to be placed on that side of the table (not shown).

FIG. 97 illustrates a downward projection pathway with the HD projector1002 mounted high and aimed down to the rear projection transparentscreen 1000. The rear projection transparent screen 1000 is partiallytransparent which means all the light of the HD projector 1002 does notdisperse upon the screen 1000 and actually passes through the screen1000 and creates an unwanted secondary image 990. As seen in FIG. 97 theunwanted secondary image 990 falls upon the meeting tabletop 986 and thelocal meeting room participants 982 can see in a tabletop direction 984a highly distracting full color motion image of the remote participantsboth on the meeting tabletop 986 and on the screen 1000 (remoteparticipants not shown). The experience is unacceptable forvideoconferencing because the unwanted secondary image 990 intrudes onthe videoconference call. As seen in FIG. 98 the HD projector 1002 ispositioned near a meeting room floor 1004 and is aimed up to the rearprojection transparent screen 1000. The unwanted secondary image 990 isseen on a meeting room ceiling 1006, which is directly seen by the localmeeting room participants 982 by a line of sight 1008.

FIGS. 99-102 illustrates the embodiments of the present invention toeliminate the unwanted secondary image 990 from a direct observationdirection 1010 by the local meeting room participants 982. The HDprojector 1002 is aimed through the screen 1000 forming the unwantedsecondary image 990 above or below (not shown) of the localparticipants. FIG. 99 uses a physical image block 1014 to block the viewof the local meeting room participants 982 from seeing the unwantedsecondary image 990. FIG. 100 illustrates an image reduction substrate1018 that reduces the visible brightness of the unwanted secondary image990. Black light absorbing flocking material is a superior choice andsimilar light absorbing materials. Another substrate has opticalelements that have directive optical prisms and/or reflectors that aimthe light of the unwanted secondary image 990 in a direction notnoticeable by the local meeting room participants 982. The imagereduction substrate 1018 may also be a mirror that reflects the light toanother part of the room away from the local participants in a directobservation direction 1010. For example, the meeting tabletop 986 or themeeting room ceiling 1006 can have a mirror surface. FIG. 101Illustrates a louver light trap 1018 that traps the secondary image 990so it disperses upon a side of the louver light trap 1018 away from thedirect observation direction 1010 of the local meeting room participants982. The louver trap may be large slats 3 inches or larger, and can betiny louvers barely noticeable to the human eye. FIG. 102 uses a brightlight 1020 aimed at the unwanted secondary image 990 and it washes outthe unwanted secondary image 990 to make it less noticeable to the localmeeting room participants 982 direct observation direction 1010.

FIG. 103 illustrates the present invention where the unwanted secondaryimage 990 is concealed from a direct observation angle 1022. The HDprojector 1002 is mounted above the screen 1000 and aimed through it andthe unwanted secondary image 990 falls behind the meeting room table988. Further, a primary embodiment of the present invention is a highmounted projector light block 1024 which prevents the local meetingparticipants 982 from directly looking into the HD projector 1002 andits beam of light.

FIG. 104 illustrates the present invention where the HD projector 1002is aimed upwards and bounces off a high mirror 1038 which then redirectsthe projected image to the screen 1000 and also passes through thescreen 1000 forming the unwanted secondary image 990. Adding mirrors inthe projection pathway can be applied to any relevant configuration ofthe present invention. The unwanted secondary image 990 is concealed asdescribed for FIG. 103. A mirror block 1036 prevents the local meetingroom participants 982 in a mirror observation direction 1034 from seeingthe high mirror 1038. The high mirror 1038 is optionally attached to alow profile soffit 1026. Contained in the low profile soffit 1026 is adirectional conferencing light bank 1032 with an illumination angle 1030illuminating the local meeting room participants 982. A lower projectorlight block 1040 prevents the local participants 982 from seeing the HDprojector 1002 lens and light beam which would otherwise be verydistracting to the point of blinding to the local participants 982during a videoconference.

FIG. 105 illustrates the same configuration of FIG. 104 except the tablemeeting top 986 extends nearly all the way to the screen 1000. A tablegap 1042 provides a greater illusion effect that the remote participantsare sitting on the other side of the meeting room table 988. The remoteparticipants' images actually extend below the meeting room tabletop 986back edge so as the local participants move their heads up and down theysee more or less of the lower torso of the remote participants on thelower portion of the screen 1000 (not shown). This substantially aids ingiving the impression the person is sitting in the room and not just animage on the screen where the bottom of the perimeter of a screen cutsoff the remote participants' image (not shown). Further, the table gap1042 hides a portion of the unwanted secondary image 990. The unwantedsecondary image 990 also falls on the meeting tabletop 986. The unwantedimage reduction embodiments described for FIGS. 99-102 are applicable toan image reducer 1042 positioned within or upon the meeting tabletop986. The screen 1000 is mounted in FIG. 105 directly to the meeting roomtable 988, but may be attached by other means such as a simple supportstand (not shown).

FIG. 106 illustrates the present invention where the HD projector 1002strikes the screen 1000 from an angle from below. In this configuration,the HD projector 1002 is mounted near the meeting room floor 1004 andaimed upward to the screen 1000 and the unwanted secondary image 990disperses upon the ceiling 1006. The image reducer 1042, which may beany embodiment described for FIGS. 99-102 serves to substantially reducethe image on the meeting room ceiling 1006 that would otherwise beobservable by the local participants 982. Without the image reducer 1042the local participants 982 would observe the images of the remoteparticipants (not shown) seen on the screen 1000 and on the meeting roomceiling 1006. Seeing the same image twice is highly distracting whileconferencing making the meeting experience unusable. FIG. 106 alsoillustrates the HD projector 1002 and its bright lens and beam areblocked from the local participants view by the screen stand 992.

FIG. 107 illustrates the present invention where the projector utilizesa floor mirror 1056 to lengthen the optical pathway. A meeting roomhanging soffit 1052 and connected to a soffit drop 1054 creates aneffective block so the local meeting room participants 982, when gazingin an upward soffit direction 1046, cannot see the unwanted secondaryimage 990. Contained in the meeting room soffit are soffit directionallights 1050 aimed in a local participant downward direction 1048. Theimage reducer 1042, although shown, is most likely not needed since themeeting room hanging soffit conceals the unwanted secondary image 990.The meeting room hanging soffit 1052 may also be a hanging decorativelight fixture. So whether it is a décor feature or any kind ofarchitectural feature the principle remains the same. That principle isany object that is common to meeting rooms in both design and décorblocks from the local participants 982 view of the unwanted secondaryimage 1002.

FIG. 108 illustrates the present invention where the image reducer 1042is placed inside the low profile soffit 1026. The projection pathway isthe same as described for FIG. 107. In this configuration the HDprojector 1002 is concealed inside of a façade housing wall 1058. It isconstructed with a hole (not shown) and the façade housing wall 1058serves the same function as the lower projector block 1040 (FIG. 104).The hole (not shown) can be concealed by many decorative means, so as tonot draw attention to itself. The façade housing wall 1058 may also be areal wall with a hole cut into it.

FIG. 109 illustrates a rigid plastic rear projection transparent screen1060 built into a custom stage 1072. A curved slit 1066 permits a screenportion 1068 of the rigid plastic screen 1060 to be inserted into thecurved slit 1066 and pressed clamped into place by a clamps 1070. As aresult the rigid plastic rear projection transparent screen 1060 is heldupright by the curved shaped formed by the curved slit 1066 enabling therigid plastic screen to not require any additional support such aswires, poles or frames. Without the curvature of the rigid plasticscreen 1060 the screen would lean back and forth. The curved shape helpsgreatly in reducing cumbersome screen frames that reveal the screen 1060to an audience observer 1080. Also, the curved shape adds to the 3-Dappearance of a custom stage imaged person 1078 walking on stage in a3-D area from the back to the front of the custom stage 1072. Asdescribed previously for numerous embodiments of the present inventionthe custom stage imaged person 1078 can be recorded, live via abroadcast or interactive videoconference and when the imaged person 1078image is surrounded in black the effect is the imaged person 1078 isstanding amongst the meeting room background 998 (or any stagebackground). It is created by a lower rear stage projector 1064projecting the imaged person 1078 and the surrounding black that issee-through on the rigid plastic screen 1060 from the perspective of theaudience observer 1080.

A live stage person 1073 stands on stage and interacts via broadcast orvideoconference with the custom staged imaged person 1078. The nano stemcamera 400, a custom stage microphone 1076 and a custom stage audiospeakers 1074 are used to enable a videoconference, as well as, anyother equipment and network (not shown). The custom stage projector 1064is positioned low and aimed up toward the rigid plastic rear projectiontransparent screen 1060. The custom stage projector 1064 is hiddenbehind the custom stage 1072 from a direct audience observationdirection 1082 of the audience observer 1080 as he sees-though the rigidplastic rear projection transparent screen 1060. By doing so theaudience observer 1080 is not blinded by the light of the custom stageprojector 1064. The rigid plastic rear projection transparent screen1060 may be any size and can be fabricated by a size as large as 10 feethigh and 20 feet wide. Acrylic ¼ thick clear with a lightly diffused 4%haze will suffice among other rear projection transparent screentechnologies.

FIG. 110 illustrates an optional rear and front projection screen 1083that can function as a rear projection transparent screen as describedfor screens 1000 and 1060 (FIGS. 97-109, 111, 118-120), where a rearside projector 1087 projects onto the screen 1083 and a rear projectionside 1084. The screen 1083 is transparent and the participant viewer1089 can see-through the screen 1083 to the meeting room background 998.Alternatively, various screen technologies that are transparent can beprojected from either side of the screen. A front projection side 1086of the optional rear and front projection screen 1083 has a formed imagefrom a front side projector 1085. Other transparent screens arefabricated to be projected onto only from the front projection side1086. It is to be expressly understood that the present invention andits embodiments described for rear projection transparent screentechnology are all applicable to front projection transparent screens.All embodiments of videoconferencing, unwanted secondary images,blocking a direct view of the projector and its lens, and theconfiguration into a meeting room and a stage, to name a few, are allapplicable to a screen that has a front projection side 1086 that istransparent. The inventive configurations disclosed herein areapplicable to any applications such as ATM machines and virtualconcierge kiosks.

FIG. 111 illustrates a variant of the FIG. 109 with the rigid plasticrear projection transparent screen 1060. In this configuration thescreen 1060 does not fit into the curved slit 1066 but rather is held inplace by a support poles 1090 connected to a metal bases 1088. Thesupport poles 1090 are hidden from an audience viewing area 1100 byartificial trees 1096. Certainly any type of object could conceal thesupport poles 1090 other than the artificial trees 1096. Instead of thecustom stage 1072 the configuration of FIG. 111 uses a left rolling roadcase 1094 and a right rolling road case 1092 to serve as the actualstage. A wood façade 1098 covers the road cases and from the audienceviewing area 1100 the rolling road cases 1094 and 1096 appear to be astage. The rolling road cases 1094 and 1096 are bolted together formingan integral stage. When not attached the rolling road cases 1094 and1096 has everything placed inside for shipping including the rigidplastic rear projection transparent screen 1060 that is rolled up to fitinto one of the road cases.

As it relates to the embodiments described for FIGS. 97-111 and 118-120various options for the screen technology are applicable as describedfor FIGS. 112-117. Primarily these screen technologies are designed forrear projection, but may be applied to front projection as well. Incommon these screen technologies receive a bright beam of lightcontaining a full color motion image that is dispersed upon the screenforming a visible image and these screen technologies have the uniquecharacteristics of being see-through in the portion of the screen whereno image is projected. That see-through portion is the projected colorblack and other very dark colored hues. FIG. 112 illustrates a rigidplastic transparent image screen 1102 that can be made of any plastic,any thickness and any optical characteristics enabling an image to beseen and see-through when no image is projected onto it and alsosee-through in black or dark image projected image portions. FIG. 113illustrates a glass transparent image screen 1104 that can be made ofany glass, any thickness and any optical characteristics enabling animage to be seen and see-through when no image is projected onto it andalso see-through in black and dark projected image portions. The glasstransparent image screen 1104 may be chemically hardened or tempered.FIG. 114 illustrates a laminated transparent image screen with alaminated first side 1106, a laminated second side 1110, and alamination layer 1108. The sides 1106 and 1110 may be made of anyplastic or glass with any type of properties. The lamination layer 1108may be adhesive only and also have embedded in it an image dispersingtechnology such as holographic film or lightly diffused film. Ifholographic film it may be highly exotic and designed to receive aprojected image from a certain angle and from a certain distance. Thelamination layer 1108 can also serve as a safety feature preventingshattering. FIG. 15 illustrates a fabric transparent screen 112 that hassufficient size holes weaved into the fabric that it appearssee-through. FIG. 116 is a flexible film transparent screen 1114, whichmay be holographic film, and lightly diffused plastic film. Both thefabric transparent screen 112 and the flexible film transparent screen1114 can be hung, framed, stretched by pulling or heat contracting overa frame, or by any other means to form a surface to project upon.

FIG. 117 illustrates combining a first screen type 1120 with a secondscreen type 1116 by a connecting system, such as an adhesive, to bondthe first screen type 1120 with the second screen type 1116. Forexample, a certain holographic film may only be 7 feet wide and needs tobe extended an additional 6 feet to attain the proportion needed tomount on a stage solution as described for embodiment FIG. 111. It isalso relevant in reflected systems as described for FIGS. 78-87. In thiscase, the angled film 720 may only be 7 feet wide that comes with asuperior optical coating for reflection and clarity, yet an additional 3feet is needed to stretch the film in a size optically required for theconfiguration. As such the embodiment taught in FIG. 117 would resolvethe issue by widening the angled film 720. Any of the transparent imagescreens (FIGS. 112-117) described herein may have a variety of opticalcoatings to enhance the required image brightness and transparency. Anembodiment especially significant for quality of videoconferencing areanti-reflective coatings that can be used with any of the transparentimage screens (FIGS. 112-117) and are used to reduce ambient lightreflecting off the front surface of the transparent image screens (notshown) and reducing a back reflection from the projector off theback-side of the transparent image screens (not shown).

FIG. 118 illustrates an augmented reality podium 1130 that allows animage of a person to appear to be standing at a podium from a recordedsource, a broadcast source, and an interactive videoconference (notshown). A person's image (not shown) is imaged on a rear projectiontransparent podium screen 1132, which permits a podium observer 1122 tosee the person's image on the screen 1132 and the meeting roombackground 998 around the person's image (not shown). As describedpreviously, the see-through portion has black or a dark hue projectedonto it, which means the person's image is surrounded in black. Theperson's image (not shown) is projected by a floor podium projector1136. The podium projector 1136 bounces its projected image beam off ofa floor mirror 1138 and then dispersed onto the rear projectiontransparent podium screen 1132. The augmented reality podium 1130 has aglass ledge 1126 with a black mask 1128. The glass ledge 1126 is a real3D object in front of the imaged person on the screen 1132 (not shown)further enhancing the realism that a real person, and not an imagedperson, is standing at the augmented reality podium 1130. Further, thepodium observer 1122 repositions his head naturally at differing heightsfrom a lower height 123 and a higher height 1124, in which more or lessof the screen can be seen in a lower podium screen portion 1134 of thescreen 1132. The glass ledge partially obstructs the image person(usually the lower torso and not shown) on the screen 1132 adding to theeffect a real person is standing at the augmented reality podium 1130.The glass ledge 1126 may also be constructed of any material such asmetal, plastic and wood.

FIG. 119 illustrates the same configuration of FIG. 118 with theaddition of a videoconference camera placement configuration options.Contained in a hidden black podium camera hood 1144 is a podium camera1142 aimed through a hole (not shown) in the black mask 1128 and throughthe glass ledge 1126. The camera is encapsulated in black so it is notnoticeable by the podium observer 1122. Alternately the gooseneck cameramicrophone 442 as described in FIG. 47 raises the camera closer to eyelevel and also presents a real 3D physical object in front of the imagedperson (not shown) to further enhance the impression that a real personis standing at the augmented reality podium 1130.

FIG. 120 illustrates the present invention of a portable augmentedreality podium 1148, which operates nearly the same as described forFIGS. 118 and 119 except it collapses and is moveable. The portableaugmented reality podium 1148 is built upon wheels 1156 for ease ofmoving in any direction. The system collapses by mounting an insideprojector 1147 inside the podium 1148 and that projector is aimed to afolding mirror 1150 connected to a folding housing back 1152 and thendirected to the rear projection transparent podium screen 1132. Thefolding housing back 1152 is connected to a housing riser 1162 and thatis connected to a slide tray 1160 that closes in a closing direction1154. Upon closing the folding housing back 1152 hingedly closes uponthe portable augmented reality podium 1148 and thereby protecting thefolding mirror 1150 when closed. A housing mounted camera 1146 is aimedthrough a hole (not shown) in the podium 1148 for videoconferencing.

FIG. 121 illustrates a primary embodiment of the present invention wherea person or object can appear to have a matching shadow cast in anenvironment behind them. A generic augmented reality screen 1172 is atransparent screen where an augmented reality imaged person 1166 appearsfull color, full motion, and solid in form in front of a generic roombackground 1174. The generic augmented reality screen 1172 is any typeof functional display, technology or system that enables the describedeffect of the imaged person 1168 in front of the background 1174 withhis shadow cast in the environment. The visual cues of seeing shadowspresents the impression that the image person 1166 is real andphysically solid and thereby greatly enhancing the quality of theexperience. The primary categories of technologies use the angled film720, the rear projection transparent screen such as screens 1000, 1060,and 1132, front projection transparent screens and emissive transparentdisplays such as transparent OLED or transparent LCD with an adjacentback light removed. All of these technologies can create an impressiveeffect of an imaged floating person or imaged floating object on a clearsubstrate seen amongst a generic room background 1174 as observed by anawe struck viewer 1164 in a see-through direction 1168. The presentinvention utilizes a shadow projector 1170 to project a projected shadow1176 onto the generic background 1174. The projected shadow 1176 cast amatching shadow from the signal source containing the imaged person1166. In other words, as the imaged person 1166 moves about theprojected shadow 1176 also moves. The projected shadow 1176 may beprojected upon the generic background 1174 floor, ceiling, walls, andobjects (not shown). Further, additional shadow projectors 1174 (notshown) can be added to create the illusion that multiple light sourcesare casting a shadow of the imaged person 1166 or any video object.

FIG. 122 illustrates a process diagram for creating the projected shadow1176. A full color image signal source of a person or an object 1178 hasthat person or object isolated in a background and that background inthe image does not appear on the generic augmented reality screen 1172.Further, that screen 1172 is see-through as viewed by the awe struckviewer 1164 perspective except where the image person 1166 resides inthe image. That image signal 1178 is split and displayed on the genericaugmented reality screen 1172 (process diagram 1180). The image signal1178 is also sent to an image processing 1182. The image processing 1182image manipulates the image signal to modify it to appear as a shadow.Image manipulation includes at least one of removing color except forblack and white and grey, removing an image detail of the imaged person1166 or another object, softening the edges of the imaged person 1166 oranother object, filling the imaged person 1166 or another object with adark color, replacing a dark area surrounding the imaged person 1166 oranother object with a light color, and distorting the shape of the imageperson 1166 or another object. Pattern recognition algorithms and videoediting techniques may also be used to isolate the image of the imagedperson 1166 from the surrounding background in the image. Fortunately,extrapolating a person in the present invention is aided for the factthat many embodiments of the present invention captures an image of theperson against a black background or a chromakey background. Asdiscussed later for FIGS. 126 and 127 some augmented reality displaytechnologies utilizes the color white as the color that is see-throughon the display. In that case white would be the color used to isolatethe image of the imaged person 1166 for image manipulating Finally, theimage manipulated signal is displayed by the shadow projector 1170 in abackground environment 1184. The shadow projector 1170 may be a blackand white, full color, low resolution, high resolution, high bright andalso low brightness. The inventive solution of creating the shadowdescribed herein may also be produced and animated separate from theimage on the augmented reality screen 1172 and used for specialty usesin theme parks, museums and other entertainment applications.

Another embodiment of the present invention is using image mapping tocreate a three-dimensional physical object environment 1200 that isprojected upon and imaging a video conferenced person in theenvironment. A first image mapped projector 1186, a second image mappedprojector 1188, a third image mapped projector 1190, and a fourth imagemapped projector 1192 all project an imaged mapped content upon thethree-dimensional physical object environment 1200. A viewing audience1202 observes the three-dimensional physical object environment 1200with projected content that aligns to a physical objects 1194 and alsoobserves a live video conferenced person 1198 within the environment.The live video conferenced person 1198 sees the viewing audience 1202 byan environmental camera 1196. That camera can be placed anywhere in theenvironment and also positioned to see a live person standing (notshown) in the environment as well. Image processors, scalers, and imagemapping software orients the projectors 1186, 1188, 1190, and 1192 andtheir projected content to align the physical objects 1194 and alsoprojects in an projected conference area 1201 the live video conferencedperson 1198.

FIG. 124 illustrates an image mapped stage system 1205 with a bottomstage object 1210, a top stage object 1208, a left stage object 1204 anda right stage object 1206, a stage resting object 1212 and a stageelevated object 1214 all imaged mapped objects and projected upon withcontent by the projectors 1186, 1188, 1190, and 1192. A stage videoconferenced person 1218 stands in an environment that completelytransforms from various three-dimensional settings. The stage videoconferenced person's 1218 image may be produced by either anotherdisplay system such as an LED or rear projection or created by theprojectors 1186, 1188, 1190, and 1192. To further enhance the realism ofthe experience the podium prop 58 and the videoconferencing camera 70for videoconferencing is placed within the image mapped stage system1205.

FIG. 125 illustrates an imaged mapped group conferencing system 1217with a 3D table 1222, a left 3D object environment 1218, and a right 3Dobject environment 1220 all projected upon with the image mapped alignedimages produced by a left projector 1224 and a right projector 1226. Aconference image section 1228 may be any type of image display andpreferably is an eye contact display with an eye level camera 1236. Ifnot an eye contact display then any camera and display can be used. Theconference image section 1228 images a remote matching table 1238, and afirst section display conferee 1230, a second section display conferee1231, a third section display conferee 1232, and a forth section displayconferee 1233. The conference image section 1228 may also be produced bythe left projector 1224 and the right projector 1226. The imaged mappedgroup conferencing system 1217 permits an immediate modification of theroom environment during a meeting. For example, a board meeting may havethe look of a wood paneled executive suite and an engineer meeting mayhave data projected on portions of the environment.

Another primary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inFIG. 126, which reveals an electronic see-through panel 1250 thatdisplays an imaged panel person 1246 (or any object) surrounded by asee-through display elements 1248. A panel observer 1244 watches andinteracts via videoconference with the imaged panel person 1246 as wellas other objects. The electronic see-through panel 1250 requires anillumination panel to produce bright images. The present inventioncreates an environmental background light 1254 larger than theelectronic see-through panel 1250 so that the panel observer 1244 canmove about and have a wide field-of-view. Also, the larger environmentalbackground light 1254 is fully detached and substantially away from thepanel 1250. The environmental background light 1254 appears to the panelobserver 1244 as an architectural light feature or other bank lightingsystem. Unbeknownst to the panel observer 1244, the environmentalbackground light 1254 illuminates the image on the electronicsee-through panel 1250. The electronic see-through panel 1250 ispreferably an LCD flat panel display with its common adjacent backlightremoved. Variations of LCDs are all applicable to the present invention,yet LCDs that are nominally white are preferred. In other words, thecolor white is actually produced by the flat panel backlight so whenthat backlight is removed the color white actually becomes thesee-through display elements 1248. As a result with this type of LCDflat panel the video content production of the imaged panel person 1246should have the person surrounded in white and similar variants of hueand not black. Other types of LCDs may require another color to beselected in order to be transparent or may have a specific method otherthan color to engage transparency of the LCD elements. Such colorselection or specific method should be understood as modificationswithin the scope of the present invention and disclosure. Various typesLEDs with transparent capability may also be used for the presentinvention and a camera (not shown) may be aimed through an LED displayfor eye contact image capturing of a conferee observing the LED display.The electronic see-through panel 1250 often has a surrounding framearound it (as illustrated FIGS. 126 and 127) and that frame can beconcealed by any means including building kiosk walls and table surfacein front of the frame that hides the surrounding frame leaving only thesee-through display elements 1248 in view.

Further, the large environmental background light 1254 has affixed to itor near it a background differentiator 1252. A large light offers noreference for the panel observer 1244 to distinguish the depth of thebackground environment. The background differentiator 1252 may be asquare pattern as shown, but may also be anything that breaks up theuniformity of the environmental background light 1254, such as anarchitectural element, a furniture element, and a physical object. Asthe panel observer 1244 moves about the background differentiator 1252clearly associates where the imaged panel person 1246 is located inreference to the environmental background light 1254. Another preferredembodiment of the present invention is the environmental backgroundlight 1254 is a large video display (not shown) that images white lightand the background differentiator 1252 is actually a matching shadow ofthe imaged panel person 1246 (not shown). The description for FIGS. 121and 122 are applicable to create a matching shadow for this presentembodiment. The present invention can also be a group videoconferencingsystem where an environmental background light 1254 can fill a room walland the electronic see-through display is positioned in front of, butsubstantially away, to juxtapose the differentiator 1252 position in theroom and a first electronic see-through display conferee 1266, a secondelectronic see-through display conferee 1286, and a third electronicsee-through display conferee 1270.

Yet, another primary embodiment of the present invention is a personaldisplay that is mounted to a person's wrist as a watch or bracelet. Manyfirms have tried to commercialize smart watches and others haveconceptualized displays that wrap around the wrist. The problem withsuch display devices is that they are only usable while mounted to thewrist. Unfortunately, consumers have become accustomed to thepracticality of flat mobile phone displays and small tablets, which haveproved to be the most ergonomically sound since they are handheld andcan be manipulated with two hands. While consumers enjoy the largemobile displays for numerous applications they are universally annoyedby having to store the large device in their pocket or purse. A simplewatch offers the convenience of having the display readily available onthe wrist. The present invention resolves the problems of this prior artby providing a personal wrist display 1274 with a flex screen 1275 thatis flexible and can be in a position one 1272 that can wrap around thewrist as seen in FIG. 128. In the display position one 1272 maintainsthe circular shape rigidly and affixed to the wrist much a like a rigidbracelet or the circular shape is not rigid and can follow the contourof the wrist and the two ends may clasp together by any common magneticor mechanical means (not shown). The personal wrist display 1274 can beremoved from the wrist and uniquely mechanically be made rigid andsubstantially flat in a display position two 1278 as seen in FIG. 128.Now the consumer can utilize the wrist display while mounted to thewrist, but also as a rigid handheld display device. It is preferred thepersonal wrist display 1274 has the wide and long flex screen 1275 thatcovers all or most of the surface. It may serve as a watch and the videodisplay may show the content of any watch piece and also any type ofwatchband.

Preferably the personal wrist display 1274 is a full functioning mobilephone with any and all known phone features such as a camera on bothsides of the display, video and picture flash light, and display on bothsides (all not shown). All current and future innovations in hardwareand software applications applicable to mobile phones are readilyconfigurable into the personal wrist display 1274. Further, it canfunction with any and all known features common to tablets andnotebooks. FIG. 129 illustrates a bottom housing 1290, which can containhardware common to a mobile phone. It also illustrates a top housing1282 which contains optionally a wrist display speaker 1286, a wristdisplay microphone 1288, and a wrist display camera 1280, all of whichcombined can function to conduct a videoconference and any other commonapplications such as video/audio recordings and pictures. The computercircuitry and battery technology can be of any type and shape andmounted anywhere within the personal wrist display 1274. The idealdesign objective is to create a lightweight and thin personal wristdisplay 1274. Flexible batteries and flexible computer circuitry may aidin that that ideal design objective but is not required. The flex screen1275 may be any type of flexible display technology but is preferred tobe full color, high definition, and full motion. Flexible OLEDs are aprime candidate for the flex screen 1275.

A primary embodiment of the present invention of the personal wristdisplay 1274 is that it can transform from the circular position one1272 and into the rigid and flat position two 1276. Flat is to bedefined as substantially flat and in the rigid position two 1276 statethe personal wrist display may have a slight arc. Numerous mechanicalmechanisms can achieve the position one 1272 and the position two 1276and all are applicable to the present invention. A sleeve 1279 behindthe flex screen 1275 (FIG. 128) can receive a thin memory metal plate1277 bent to snap into the position one 1272 and when lightly forcedopen it snaps into the position two 1274. The sleeve 1279 can receivemany sizes and tensions of the thin metal memory plates 1277 fordiffering size wrists. Since the thin metal plates 1277 are removablethey are replaceable if they should ever lose rigidity or not conform tothe intended circular shape. The thin memory metal plate 1277 may alsobe affixed to the flex screen 1275. Other methods to attach or buildintegral a mechanical system that allows both a circular shape and arigid flat shape are applicable to the present invention. Any type ofclasping system can be used if desired (not shown) or be used on thewrist as an open sided bracelet. Other mechanical systems that usesectional magnets can snap into a rigid shape and then be lightly forcedto break contact and then clasped around the wrist (not shown) arecertainly acceptable alternatives. Conceivably, the consumer could beoffered several sizes of the personal wrist display 1264 that arelonger, shorter, wider, and narrower.

Another primary embodiment of the present invention is to provide amulti-mode meeting room 1292 that can serve as a common groupvideoconferencing room and also as a studio production room forproducing, recording, live broadcasting, and videoconferencing to theunique display systems of the present invention disclosed herein. Theroom 1292 is ideally located at, but not limited to, a hotel to providea service as a self-contained production studio. The multi-mode room1292 serves as a normal appearing meeting room with a videoconferencingsystem. It also serves several specialty modes all of which requirecapturing an image of the participants in the room surrounded in blackor chromakey with a black background and transmitted to the many displaysystems disclosed herein. This includes, as is relevant to anyparticular application and configurations, the embodiments illustratedin FIGS. 4-36, 78-87, 97-127, 146-147, and other relevant figures andall possible configurable modifications. For FIGS. 126-127 and 147 thecolor black may be replaced with white. The multi-mode meeting room 1292has a room eye contact display 1306 with multi-mode camera 1304 whichmay be a high-end broadcast camera with pan/tilt/zoom capability. A sideconference lights 1302 illuminates toward local conferees (not shown)sitting at a front table 1300 and a rear table 1298 and toward a backconceal wall 1296. The back conceal wall 1296 are fabric panels, arolling fabric or another concealing substrate that matches the décor ofthe multi-mode meeting room 1292. The multi-mode camera 1304 has a firstcapture angle preset 1308 that is ideal for capturing conferees sittingat the front table 1300 while viewing the eye contact display 1306. Themulti-mode camera 1304 can also have presets that aim to three, two, andone conferees (not shown). Also, conferees seated at the rear table 1298are also captured in the first capture angle preset 1308. A secondcamera capture angle preset 1310 captures the rear table 1298 with theconferees sitting at that table facing the eye contact display 1306 andare aligned to be transmitted and displayed as seen in FIGS. 80 and 81and applicable to numerous other embodiments and configurations of thepresent invention. Further, the back conceal wall 1296 is removed fromthe camera capturing revealing a multi-mode meeting room black wall1294. The wall 1294 may be black light absorbing material or chromakeyall with the intent to surround the conferees image in black (notshown). FIG. 131 illustrates how the multi-mode meeting room 1292 canhave the front table 1300 and rear table 1298 rolled into a single largetable meeting room experience.

FIG. 132 is the same multi-mode meeting room 1292 as disclosed for FIGS.130 and 131 and is now converted into another mode of use and that is asa studio for production to the stage systems disclosed herein withhead-to-toe video shots of a full body conferee 1322. The production inthis mode can be for recorded, live broadcast, and videoconferencing.The front table 1300 and the right table 1298 are moved away from thecenter of the room. The back conceal wall 1296 is retracted left andright fully exposing the full body conferee 1322 standing against thepitch black background of the multi-mode meeting room black wall 1294(which alternatively may be chromakey background). A side lights 1312offer side lighting, a rear ceiling track spot lights 1316 offers backof head and shoulder lighting, a first concealed ceiling light bank 1320and a second concealed ceiling light bank 1318 offers front lighting allto illuminate the full body conferee 1322. All this studio qualitylighting is deployed in the multi-mode meeting room 1292 inconspicuouslyand all looks like a normal business class meeting room. A black carpetarea 1314 extends from the black wall 1294 to a location in front of thefull body conferee 1322. The multi-mode camera 1304 captures the feet ofthe full body conferee 1322 amongst pitch black so the entire capturedimage of the full body conferee 1322 is surrounded in black. A smallscale podium 1324 serves as a place for the full body conferee to resthis hands and notes. The small scale podium 1324 is constructed so asnot to be seen on screen in the disclosed stage configurations of thepresent invention because it is blocked from view on stage from thepodium prop 58. Finally, the full body conferee 1322 may use the roomeye contact display 1306 which can be used as a teleprompter and as avideoconference display to see a remote location. Certainly, themulti-mode meeting room 1292 is not the only way to produce ahead-to-toe image of a person and, at times, events occurring around theglobe will require capturing the image of a speaker live on stage forrecording, broadcast, and videoconference.

FIG. 133 Illustrates a multipurpose group meeting room 1326 which has aconvertible table 1328 that is used with chairs and conferees (notshown) on both sides of the table in a typical meeting room arrangement.The issue with this arrangement is when conferencing is the people inthe chairs close to the eye contact display 1306 appear larger than thepeople farthest away at the opposite end from the eye contact display1306. The convertible table 1326 rotates on wheels or other means (notshown) to create a telepresence row where all people are positioned onone side of the convertible table 1328 as seen in FIG. 134. The eyecontact display 1306 would ideally be the embodiment as described inFIGS. 88-92. The convertible table 1328 may also be used without the eyecontact display 1306 and instead a common flat panel with any kind ofcamera (not shown). If a flat panel is used, the nano stem camera 400would be preferred because of the improved eye line.

Lighting for group conferencing meeting rooms has been frustratingbecause room designs, facilities personnel, and others are usuallyforced to select some kind of expensive and complicated ceiling lightsystems. Also, these ceiling light systems require electricalcontractors to install and hard wired into the room electrical systems.Most conferencing rooms now use simple flat panel displays that hang onthe wall. Facilities personnel are commonly hanging these lightweightTVs on the walls without contractors involved. Most meeting rooms haveample ambient light generated from above such as florescent fixtures,but light only from above causes unflattering shadows on peoples' faces.

A primary embodiment of the present invention is to provide lightweightillumination panels that flank the videoconference display to addforward light illumination. FIG. 135 illustrates a pair of a wide softlight LED panel 1340 that is mounted on the wall by a simple hanger1338. The wide soft light LED panel 1340 flanks left and right a hangingflat panel 1332 with an HD integral screen 1334. The wide soft light LEDpanel 1340 plugs simply into a wall outlet and has on/off that can be IRcontrolled or other control features common to room control systems.Exposed LED light bulbs can be blinding so they are covered by adiffuser (not shown) which may be a white lightly opaque acrylic plasticsheet or a lamp shade material. The LEDs may be white light of any colortemperature desired and any brightness. Alternatively, a mixture of blueand yellow LEDs can be independently controlled and mixed to a desiredwhite color temperature. The LEDs are spread over a wide area becausethe light should appear soft to the observer with no hotspots that couldbe blinding.

Another primary embodiment of the present invention is to use anemissive light display, such as an LCD TV or OLED TV, in landscape orportrait mode, as the wide soft light LED panel 1340. The emitted whiteconference light can be a video source and various light effects andadjustments are added. Controllability of the TVs is by typicalaudio/video TV controls with preselected lighting scenes for the content(not shown). Content scenes for lighting could be served by a smallmedia server (not shown) and the content signal may be mirror split tomultiples of the wide soft light LED panels 1340. Additionally, alampshade material may be placed over the TV to completely conceal thefact that the light source is actually a TV serving as the wide softlight LED panel 1340. Alternatively, a standing LED light bank 1344 asseen in FIG. 136 can be used instead of using the simple hanger 1338.The standing LED light bank 1344 leans against a room wall 1330 and doesnot fall forward because of an attached front half foot 1350 resting ona conference room floor 1352. The LED illumination section 1346 is aimedtoward the videoconference participants (not shown). An optional audiospeaker area 1348 allows many different types of speakers to be mountedinto it. Alternatively, it can be used to house a videoconferencingcomputer or codec appliance (not shown). FIG. 137 is a perspective viewof the standing LED light bank 1344 and it can stand and not fall backby the addition of an attached rear half foot 1354. Conceivably, thestanding LED light bank 1344 could come in a height that would work attable height and also bar stool height, which is becoming a trend invideoconferencing collaboration furniture.

A primary embodiment of the present invention is to create avideoconferencing media wall kit system 1353 that permits architects,room designers, and facilities personnel to modularly select avideoconference media wall kit system that best suits their design andcommunication technology goals. The kit is conceived as offering aseries of styles to fit multiple environments and the architect,designer, and facilities personnel can choose a variety of surfaces,fabrics, and speaker cloth so that a kit can be premade and delivered toa job site and mounted adjacent to the room wall 1330. As seen in FIG.138 a single display center housing 1361 has a TV conference display1363 contained therein. The TV conference display 1363 may be an eyecontact display with a center mounted camera 1352 or a nano stem camera400 with nano camera 402 mounted from below, but may be from on top aswell (not shown). A center lower housing 1366 is connectively positionedbelow the single display center housing 1361. An upper left housing1354, an upper center housing 1368, an upper right housing 1356, a leftcenter housing 1358, a center right housing 1360, a lower left housing1362, a lower center housing 1366, a lower right housing 1364, and thesingle display center housing 1361 are all connectively positioned intoa single assembled kit. FIG. 139 illustrates the same left and rightside housing assembly as seen in FIG. 138. This embodiment furtherillustrates a left TV conference display housing 1382 with a left TVconference display 1380, a right TV conference display housing 1384 witha right TV conference display 1386, a left lower center housing 1374, aright lower center housing 1376, a left upper center housing 1370 and aright upper center housing 1372 all connectively positioned into asingle assembled kit. Multiple nano stem cameras 1388 may be positionedas desired, as well as numerous other mounting options for a plethora ofcamera types with and without mechanical pan/tilt/zoom. Any of thehousings described herein as part of the videoconferencing media wallkit system 1353 are configurable to contain an electronic componentstorage area, a cabling area, a storage area, a camera area, and aspeaker area.

FIG. 140 illustrates a side view of FIGS. 138 and 139. A selected tableshape and style 1390 permits the architect, designer, and facilitiespersonnel to choose a variety of table shapes that best suits themeeting room. Tables as seen in FIGS. 130-134 are all applicable, aswell as many other shapes and sizes. The nano stem camera 400 can mountin many ways as described herein as well as other cameras. FIG. 141illustrates a variant of the videoconferencing media wall kit system1353 designed for a beamsplitter 1400 eye contact display with a lowermounted flat panel 1402 with a screen aimed up (not shown) and reflectedby the beamsplitter 1400. A kit mounted camera 1398 aims through thebeamsplitter 1400 toward the local room videoconference participants(not shown) to capture a perfect eye contact image. Likewise, a reversebeamsplitter arrangement can be used where the camera captures areflected image of the participants off of the beamsplitter 1400 and theflat panel is placed vertically behind the beamsplitter 1400 oppositethe participants (not shown). The beamsplitter 1400 can be any type ofreflective transparent panel with any type of coatings which includesbeamsplitting coatings to improve reflectivity. An eye contact left sideupper housing 1392, an eye contact left side center housing 1394, an eyecontact left lower housing 1396, as well as other center and right sidehousings (not shown) are all connectively positioned into a singleassembled kit.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a desktop eye contactdisplay as seen in FIG. 142. A desktop beamsplitter 1412 permits thenano stem camera 400 to capture through the desktop beamsplitter 1412the image of a desktop video chat user 1416. A common desktop flat paneldisplay 1420 has its screen (not shown) aimed upward and is reflected bythe desktop beamsplitter 1412 forming a desktop reflected image 1406,which is observed by the desktop video chat user 1416. A thin profilehousing 1408 supports the desktop beamsplitter 1412 and a panel mount1417 of which the common desktop flat panel display 1420 rests upon. Thethin profile housing 1408 is attached to a desktop support plate 1410and rests upon a desktop 1404. The common desktop flat panel display1420 is mounted at a slant and higher toward the desktop video chat user1416 for the purpose of creating a screen obstruction angle 1418 so theuser 1416 does not see the flat panel display 1420 screen. Further, thecommon desktop flat panel display 1420 is positioned above the desktop1404 forming a working space 1414 to extend desktop usable space. Thenano stem camera 400 is adjusted by a camera adjustment knob 1413 forsubtle direction changes and positioning up, down, left, right, and yaware set by a stem adjustor 1407. The nano stem camera 400 conceals powerwires and image signal wires so they are not exposed and seen throughthe desktop beamsplitter 1412 by the desktop video chat user 1416. FIG.142 also illustrates a power management connector 1419 so that mobilephones, notebooks, PCs, and tablets that are used to send avideoconferencing image signal to the common flat panel display 1420 canplug directly into the desktop system for power.

Mirror flip features are typically included in projectors such as isused in FIGS. 78-84. The common desktop flat panel display 1420 does nothave a mirror flip feature so when its screen is seen as the desktopreflected image 1406 it is unreadable with a mirror image distortion. Animage flip scaling box (not shown) is used for this desktop embodimentso that the user 1416 can read the reflected image 1406 and is as wellapplicable to many embodiments described herein such as FIGS. 88-92.These additional boxes add considerable wiring mess and bulk issues fordesktops. To resolve this the present invention incorporates an internalimage flip scaler to manipulate the image so it can be seen upon areflection in correct orientation. An image flip scaler board 1415 isincorporated into the thin profile housing 1408 and the common desktopflat panel display 1420 plugs directly into the image flip scaler board1415 to receive the image manipulated image Finally, a USB hub 1411 isbuilt into the thin profile housing 1408 so that USB peripherals such asmicrophones, cameras, lights, and the panel display 1420 can all connectto a PC, notebook, tablet or other computing device through the thinprofile housing 1408 or other part of the system. As a result multipleUSB lines are now contained in the unit and not laid out on the table.The USB hub 1411 reduces greatly the complications for the consumer onintegrating components into the present desktop embodiment.

FIG. 143 Illustrates the present invention as described for FIG. 142except that it is designed to receive temporarily a tablet 1422 into adock port sleeve 1424. The desktop video chat user 1416 engages a mirrorflip app so the image is seen correctly in the desktop reflected image1406. The user 1416 engages touch on the tablet 1422 by looking at thedesktop reflected image 1406 and simultaneously the reflection of hishand (not shown) reaching to the touch the tablet 1422 screen. Thisembodiment permits the entire large tablet screen to be viewed by theuser 1416 unencumbered by a surrounding bulky housing and many differingtypes of tablets can mounted into the desktop system. The desktopsystems of FIGS. 142 and 143 may also have beamsplitters that are clear,may have a black coating on the back except for a hole for the camera toaim through, may have an adjustable contrast systems to change fromclear to dark, and may be configured as described for FIGS. 88-92 withthe black back board 880.

Another primary embodiment of the present invention it to permit astanding person to have a high quality videoconferencing experience andor produce for a high quality image for transmission. Standingconferencing is applicable to many uses such as, but not limited to, ATMmachines, subject matter expert kiosks, hotel front desk and conciergecommunications. FIGS. 144-147 will discuss a particular application foreach figure and in no way should be construed to limit otherapplications of use. FIG. 144 illustrates a hotel concierge 1430videoconferencing with a hotel room guest. The concierge 1430 appearsstanding life-size in the room across form the table at the distantlocation when viewed on the configuration seen in FIGS. 64-71.Additionally, it is preferred the connection is 4K resolution. Theconcierge 1430 stands at a mini matching table 1434 that matches thetables in the hotel guest rooms. A portion of the mini matching table1434 is captured by the nano stem camera 400, which is mounted fromabove a vertical display 1440. The vertical display 1440 can be quicklyadjusted in a vertical up and down direction 1442 for differing heightsof concierge 1430 on a small display stand 1444 resting on a simplefloor 1438. The nano stem camera 400 also captures the image of amatching wall 1432 that is a similar color and texture and material ofthe wall in the guest hotel rooms. The configuration of FIG. 144 is alsoideal as a video recording studio to procure messages to be played byguests in their hotel room.

FIG. 145 illustrates a hotel front counter associate 1450 at a counter1452. The associate 1450 can converse naturally with the standing guest1458 and can also glance to a counter reflected image 1456 produced byreflecting a counter display 1454 by a clear beamsplitter 1459. Theclear beamsplitter 1459 permits the associate 1450 and the standingguest 1456 to see each through the clear beamsplitter 1459. Without theclear beamsplitter 1459 a common display would be needed and block aview between the associate 1450 and the standing guest 1458.

FIG. 146 illustrates an augmented reality ATM machine 1471 with a largeclear beamsplitter 1467 reflecting a large HD videoconferencing display1462 and forming a floating reflected image 1460. An ATM user 1469 seesin an image direction 1468 the reflected floating image 1460 against acontrolled background 1471 that is substantially dark that enhances thebrightness of the floating reflected image 1460. The large HDvideoconferencing display 1462 is mounted at a slant to block the HDvideoconferencing display 1462 from an ATM user 1469 viewing direction1472. The ATM machine 1471 also has an ATM touch screen 1466 with easyaccess for the ATM user 1469. FIG. 147 is a see-through image ATMmachine 1476 and is based on the description for FIGS. 126 and 127. TheATM user 1469 peers through the electronic see-through panel 1250 in agazing direction 1478 to see the environmental background light 1254. Abright floating image of a bank teller (not shown) interacts with theATM user 1469 as if actually present in the room. Lastly, theconfiguration as described for FIG. 26 can be configured as an ATMmachine showing a full body (as seen) or as an upper torso and headappearing as if the bank attendant is standing across a counter (notshown). The bank attendant that appears on this or any configuration ofthe present invention may be video conferenced or recorded interactivevideo clips. Certainly the ATM configurations of FIGS. 146 and 147 canalso be used as interactive kiosks that offer a whole host sales andservices such as insurance sales, medical opinion, hotel concierge, autosales to name only a few.

Numerous embodiments of the present invention are all applicable to anyand all potential applications from corporate, government, finance,healthcare, entertainment, and education communications and whiledisclosed to enhance a guest experience while visiting and staying at ahotel are fully applicable to all other potential applications of useoutside of hotels. Hotels should also be understood applicable to cruiselines and other types of luxury accommodations. As defined by Wikipediain the hospitality industry “a property management system, also known asa PMS, is a comprehensive software application used to cover some basicobjectives such as coordinating the operational functions of frontoffice, sales and planning etc. Automate hotel functions like guestbookings, guest details, online reservations, point of sale, telephone,accounts receivable, sales and marketing, banquets, food and beveragecosting, materials management, HR and payroll, maintenance management,quality management and other amenities. Hotel property managementsystems may interface with central reservation systems and revenue oryield management systems, front office, back office, point of sale,door-locking, housekeeping optimization, pay-TV, energy management,payment card authorization and channel management systems.”

As such, all of the embodiments of the present invention, theconfigurations illustrated and the numerous modifiable configurationsare ideally connected to a PMS so that hotel management and staff havegreater flexibility and control of the display systems disclosed herein.This includes the related videoconferencing systems, entertainmentcontent, and digital signage applications that can be utilized with thedisclosed display systems. The display systems disclosed herein areintended be used in hotel business centers, hotel guests rooms, thelobby, the front desk, convention center facilities, back roomvideoconferencing production room, ballrooms, multipurpose rooms,meeting rooms, to name only a few. FIG. 48 illustrates a PMS propertymanagement system 1500 and all the embodiments of the present invention1504 are connected by a two-way communication 1502. The two-waycommunication 1502 is connected software communication offering controland feedback from the various display systems disclosed herein. Feedbackis not required, but serves to alert the hotel staff of the operationalstatus of the displays systems and their related systems such asvideoconferencing, advertising content, TV content, hardware functions,to name only a few. Further, guests can make input selections whichinteractively accesses the PMS property management system 1500 to engagethrough one of the disclosed displays, a product or service and alsoactivities such as reviewing a room bill or making or modifying roomreservations, to name only a few.

FIG. 149. Illustrates the present stage invention as described for andillustrated in FIGS. 4-23 and elsewhere. A forward projection substrate1506 may be one of many materials for a desired effect. It may retractup, down, right or left by any means (all not shown) and it may retractwith the entire device when not in use. The forward projection substrate1506 may be a solid or partially transparent surface so that rearprojected images can be created from a lower back projector 1512 and/oran upper back projector 1508. Likewise, the substrate 1506 may be frontprojected where images are created by a lower front projector 1514 andan upper front projector 1510. The image on the substrate 1506 may beformed by one or more projectors combined to fill the substrate 1506.The substrate as a solid surface may use common rear projection andfront projection screen material. Specifically, to enhance the presentinvention for the hotel multi-purpose room 2 is to enable a transparentforward image dispersed upon the substrate 1506 so that the audience cansee both the dispersed image on the substrate 1506 and simultaneouslythrough the substrate 1506 to see the image upon the image screen 43 ofimage display 42 (not show). Video content can be synchronized so thatthe layers of images are coordinated on the substrate 1506 and the imagescreen 43. The impact from the viewer's perspective is a 3D appearingeffect where video objects can appear on the substrate 1506 in front ofother video objects behind on the image screen 43. The art to createeffective video images is described specifically for FIG. 9. A materialto enhance the forward projection substrate 1506 as being transparentare open weave fabrics, such as various types of scrim, tulle, clear,and lightly diffused plastic sheets and actual clear holographic sheetswith light, enhancing, directing, dispersing characteristics. Theforward projection substrate 1506 may be in front of the entire imagescreen 43 or only a portion and may cover multiple portions of the imagescreen 43. Also, the concealment substrate 40 may be used for any of thecharacteristics for the just described forward projection substrate1506.

The embodiments of FIGS. 4-23 and all other relevant embodiments hereinare applicable to the embodiments as described in FIGS. 150-152. FIG.150 illustrates the present invention where the hotel multi-purpose room2 has installed the image display 42 and is suspended by a cables 1522attached to a cable spool 1526 and is moved by a motor retractor 1524.FIG. 151 illustrates the image display 42 lowered to floor level by thecables 1522, the cable spool 1526, and the motor retractor 1524. Theimage display 42 may be any type of light emitting display such LEDmodules, LCD displays with very thin bezels forming a nearly invisibleconnection between the display sections/modules, and newly developeddisplays, such as rolling fabric image displays, to name a few potentialimage display technologies in development and applicable to the presentinvention. A novel variant of the image display 42 is similar to thearrangement of FIG. 16 and the massive front projection screen 160, yetin this embodiment, the screen is actually a black surface projectionsubstrate (not shown). Typical front projection screens cannot show deepblack when the room lights are on. However, with very bright projectors,images can be formed on black surfaces such as black cloth. Theadvantage of such a screen surface is that it is integral with thesurrounding black mask 46.

The mechanical connectivity of FIGS. 150 and 151 illustrates a lefttruss 1516, top truss 1518, and right truss 1520 which all connectedsupports the image display 42 and any other component related to thepresent invention. The trusses 1516, 1518, and 1520 may also befabricated as solid supports such as I-beams. However, trusses providethe optimum strength with lightest weight. FIG. 152 is a side view ofFIGS. 150 and 151. The trusses 1516, 1518, and 1520 may be self-standingor may be attached to the wall side of the room 3 (not shown) anddetachable by fasteners, quick release mechanisms (all not shown), orother means. A rotational wheel 1530 enables the trusses 1516, 1518, and1520 and the image display 42 and any other optional components of thesystem described herein and enables the entire stage device to move inany direction. A removable optional support stem 1532 with a stemrotational wheel 1534 may be included to add stability and preventtipping of the device while it is being moved. Those skilled in the artwill appreciate the numerous mechanisms to enable the stage 1540 to movein any direction. Further, motorized systems can be added as well.

A primary embodiment of the present invention is to move the imagedisplay 42 and other stage related components discussed herein withoutthe need to disassemble them so they can be repositioned in the hotelmulti-purpose room 2. A moving retracting stage 1540 embodies thepresent invention as described for and shown in FIGS. 4-23, FIGS.149-152, FIGS. 154-156 and elsewhere in the present invention. The hotelmulti-purpose room 2 is often partitioned into sections with a SectionOne 1549 partitioned by first moveable partition 1536 adjacent to aSection Two 1550, and the Section Two 1550 adjacent to a Section Three1551 partitioned by a second moveable partition 1538. Of course, hotelsand convention centers have numerous layouts of moveable partitionedsections within their large multi-purpose rooms. Any of those variousconfigurations are applicable to the following descriptions for theSections 1549, 1550, and 1551 and may be two sections, four sections orany number of sections. The moving retracting stage 1540 has numerousadvantages over common prior art method of disassembling and movingaudio/visual equipment. For example, just assembling a 12 foot high by43 foot wide LED or LCD display wall, which proportionally isapproximately two massive 16:9 aspect ratio images side by side, couldtake a day and a large crew. This moving retracting stage 1540 can bemoved into the desired location in the hotel multi-purpose room 2 in afraction of the time. The stage 1540 may be moved by motors that powerwheels, rollers or sliders (not shown) to position the stage 1540. Thisis done with little human physical effort. The present inventionprovides enormous cost savings and while maximizing facilityproductivity.

As seen in the primary embodiment FIG. 153 the moving retracting stage1540 in Section One can be used in a closed Section One 1549 of the room2 by the first moveable partition 1536. For larger events the firstmoveable partition 1536 and the second moveable partition 1538 can beretracted creating a large open room 2 for a very large audience. Themoving retracting stage 1540 can be moved to an end wall 1553 and faceall three Sections 1549, 1550, and 1551. Or the stage 1540 can be movedin a right direction 1544. It is also conceived that a hotel may havetwo stages with the moving retracting stage 1540 and a second movingretracting stage 1542. With the room 2 partitions 1536 and 1538 closed,separate events can be conducted at the same time in the multi-purposeroom 2 with the stage 1540 and the second stage 1542. With thepartitions 1536 and 1538 open, the stage 1540 and the second stage 1542can be moved in the right direction 1544 and a left direction 1546 andmeet at a connection point 1548. The two stages then could be used for asingle large room event. They stages 1540 and 1542 can operateindependently or together and it is intended that the image display 42(not shown) of each stage is joined seamlessly forming a much largerdisplay area. In such a case other stage components and systems would,as well, be integrated for the event (not shown). Additionally, morethan 2 moving retracting stages 1540 and 1542 could be in the room 2(not shown). The hotel, with this deployment, has a great deal offlexibility to rapidly adapt the hotel multi-purpose room 2 for anygiven size of event.

FIG. 154 illustrates a further primary embodiment where the hotelmulti-purpose room 2 has a temporary audio and video production soundstage. It is the intent to build a global network of stage systems asdescribed herein and permanently locate in hotel multi-purpose rooms 2.Ideally, these rooms 2 are connected with quality of service dataconnections and may be interconnected and optionally through a remotenetwork operations center 230 as discussed for FIG. 23. This enablesvery high quality data connectivity to exist and be constantly checkedto ensure the connection is up and running and at an acceptable quality.This inherent connectivity enables broadcast, multicast, videoconferenceand multipoint communications without the complexity and cost to accesstemporary data connections in the room 2. As a result of thisconnectivity the hotel multi-purpose room 2 is an ideal location tocreate a temporary soundstage for productions. In many situationscomplex video productions of live and recorded human activities will beneeded. The room 2, at a particular hotel, serves as a studio soundstage for live productions sent to other stages 1540, or variant stagesas described herein, around the globe. Likewise, recorded productionscould be played back on stages 1540 around the globe. A large backdrop1566, such as black cloth or green screen, is positioned in the room 2.An on camera talent 1562 is captured by a high res camera 1554. The highres camera 1554 is connected to the moving retracting stage 1540, or anyother version of the stage embodiments of the present invention, by asignal cable 1556. The on camera talent 1562 is able to see himself liveon the stage 1540 and adjust his performance or presentationaccordingly. A series of studio lights 1560 are also temporarily set-upto illumine the on camera talent, the large backdrop 1566 and theproduction prop 1564.

Conceivably, any hotel multi-purpose room 2 with the present inventioninstalled can become a state of the art production studio in arelatively short period of time. The advantages are critical to ensuringthe best possible productions, which are intended to be seen on theimage screen 43. The on camera talent 1562 can see in real-time exactlyhow his feet align to the floor at the feet alignment point 45 in theimage screen 43 (FIG. 150) and stage floor 52, and how his interactionswith production prop 1564 appears. The creative production team canadjust the series of studio lights 1560 to enhance a 3D appearance andcan enhance shadows of the on camera talent 1562 and how shadows playoff the production prop 1566.

Another major advantage of using the large room 2 as a studio soundstageis that the high res camera 1554 can be placed very far away from the oncamera talent 1562. When the high-res camera 1554 is moved in a closerand further away directions 1558 it effects the perspective of the oncamera talent 1562 as he walks closer and further away from the camera1554. For example, the talent 1562 may move about and his image may lookto get too small or too big as displayed on the image screen 43 andthereby breaking the illusion there is a real person on the image screen43 (not shown). Further, the high res camera 1554 may also be mounted,not only far away for proper perspective, but also mounted close to thefloor of the room 2 (not shown). If the camera is too high, then thetalent 1562 may look like they are floating with their feet leaving thestage floor 52 at the alignment point 45 (FIG. 150) as they move closerand further away from the high res camera 1554. Shadow or reflectiondisplays (not shown), can be deployed on the stage floor 52 as any typeof front or rear projection, or any type of emissive display such as LEDor LCD creating the illusion that the imaged person 68 on the imagescreen 43 is actually casting shadows or reflections on the stage floor52. Such stage floor reflections and shadows may also be used for imagedstage props (not shown) to enhance their realism. To enhance the overallillusion, the stage floor 52 would be black in many instances to createthe illusion that the imaged person 68 is standing in a black void witha deeper theatrical stage behind them. Likewise, the illusion can befurther aided by simulating floor shadows and reflections imaged on theimage screen 43. The black void effect is further enhanced when a brightlight is placed in the field of view of the image screen 43, such as atthe perimeter of the image display 42. Or the image screen itself mayhave a feature that has a bright light with surrounding black. Thebright light tricks the eye into stopping down like a camera so thatblack areas appear even more deeply black (all not shown) making theblack void even more convincingly deep as a common theatrical stage.

Those in the production arts will greatly appreciate this hotel“ballroom” temporary soundstage studio and the ability to see exactlythe finished product in real-time. Highly complicated productions withnumerous actors, singers, speakers, and so on, with numerous props,visual effects, animated effects, backdrops, shadow effects, lightingeffects, are all used to enhance the realism of the final visualexperience. Also, green screen and chromakey can be used for live andrecorded productions in many creative ways including isolating the oncamera talent 1562 on a black field aiding in the illusion he isstanding realistically amidst a black void on the stage of the presentinvention. This black void is why careful attention is given to ensuringthe image screen 43 can produce deep black and the surrounding blackmask 46 hides any visual cues of the actual narrow depth of the stagefloor 52 and the entire stage device 1540, or its variants describedherein.

FIG. 155 illustrates a primary embodiment of the present inventioncreating a novel production workflow process that radically improves theproductivity of event content creation and thereby lowers the cost ofproduction. The prior art process for event video content creation hasrelied almost exclusively on expert video production companies thatcreate custom video content for custom large format displays. Thepresent invention radically changes this process by empowering theclient to create their video production for the various stage inventionsdisclosed herein. A client users 1568 accesses with their own personalonline device 1570, such as a tablet or notebook PC, a website, and/or adownloaded app to engage a client production computer program 1572. Theprogram 1572 has at minimum a reference to the image display 42 screenaspect ratio at a particular selected hotel multi-purpose room 2. Thatreference is a video playback for a show preview 1574. The client userscan create a show event and store the show event for future access bythemselves and others they give permission to. The client user 1568layouts a timing of the event in the program and can add a show notes1578 for a staff of people to review and know chronologically the timingand sequence of various elements of the show. Further, the client users1568 has access to a selectors 1576, which provides all vital elementsneeded to create video content and also the overall show, such aslighting scenes.

The selectors 1576 include, but not limited to, venue selection, videotemplate selection, video elements selection, virtual video lightingselection, actual stage lighting selection, prop selection, audio set-upselection, and audio clip selection. The client users 1568 creates ashow using the selectors 1576 on their own device 1570 and can view theshow created on the show preview 1574. Accessible from a separatedatabase or integral to the program 1572 is a massive content library1580 so that the client users 1568 can select the desired content.Additionally, the client users 1568 can upload their own or a thirdparty content to the program 1572 by means of a download elementsfeature 1582. Upon creation of a show file the client users 1568 has adatabase of a stored client created show 1584. A production teamaccesses the stored client created show 1584 and further modifies,expert enhances, and creates a show ready production 1586. The showready production 1586 is then sent to a show control 1588 at the hotelmulti-purpose room 2. The transfer can happen prior to the event andstored on a portable device, data streamed prior to the event or datastreamed real-time during the event, among other options. The show readyproduction is then displayed on the moving retracting stage 1540 or anyvariation of the stage embodiments disclosed herein. The show control1588 can include, but not limited to, video playback, audio playback,live videoconferencing equipment, video and audio switchers, and otheraudio, visual and communication equipment needed to conduct a largeevent.

The program 1572 further includes, but not limited to, show timeline andnotes, multiple show project files per client user 1568, playbackonline, playback from device 1570 data storage, online collaborationsuch videoconferencing, cloud storage, copyright vetting and terms,production company terms and conditions for use, schedule of productionfees, content fees, venue reservation, production work time tracking,online payment system, talent and technical online resource referrals.While the embodiment of FIG. 155 is primarily a new production method toempower client created event shows, it is to be expressly understoodthis online production system, will also be used by industryprofessionals, production companies, and creative content agencies onbehalf of their clients. It is also to be expressly understood that theevent show creation process described in this primary embodiment asillustrated in FIG. 155 is also applicable to any other prior art oralternative stage systems that images video on large format displays atevents with an audience.

FIG. 156 illustrates a real-time remote production system to bringmultiple locations of remote production staff collaborating in real-timeat one or more hotel multi-purpose room 2 locations. A remote siteproduction 1590 may be one or many locations and it may be a personworking from any location, including their home, office or mobile, andmay be a production team office where production staff is located. Acollaboration connection 192 connects the remote site production 1590 tothe room 2 and local staff operating the show control 1588 and can be atleast one of online editing, videoconferencing, one or two way audioand/or video, and room 2 video observation for audience reaction andsecurity. Together, the remote site production 1590 and the staffoperating the show control 1588 jointly conduct the live event show.Multipoint videoconferencing bringing in multiple locations at the room2 and related staff and many remote site production 1590 locations canall join the call. Audio can be broken off to camera people in the room2 taping the event for a magnification screen, as well as all otherconceivable delegation of duties to an event production staff. A controlconnection 1594 connects one or more remote site production 1590locations to the show control 1588 and can operate remotely variousfeatures of the show control 1588. Ideally, the remote production 1590location has a high-quality eye contact videoconferencing system asdescribed herein so that the dispersed production staff can work asefficiently as if they were all present in the room 2. Further, thestaff at the remote site production 1590 may see a feed of the image tobe sent to the stage 1540 and can forward content to the staff at theshow control 1588. The remote site production 1590 becomes especiallyuseful as a production operations center when coordination is neededwhen multiple room 2 with multiple stage 1540 (and all the stagevariants disclosed herein) are conducting the same event around thecountry or globe.

The embodiments as illustrated and described for FIG. 47-77 andelsewhere in the present invention are applicable to a novel workspacecubicle. Prior Art FIG. 157 illustrates a common cubicle barrier 2007. Acubicle desk user 2002 sits at a cubicle desk 2004 on cubicle desk legs2006 and gazes ahead in a gaze direction 2008 and is prevented fromseeing beyond the cubicle barrier 2007. The cubicle barrier aids inprivacy to limit other workers (not shown) from readily seeing thecubicle desk user 2002 and at the same time limits the view of thecubicle desk user 2002 so other workers can have additional privacy. Thecubicle barrier 2007 also aids in reducing workspace noise. The flatpanel ultra HD display 601 with its ultra HD screen 602, describedpreviously is seen by cubicle desk user 2002 so that he can enjoy a highresolution image on a very large display 601 in his personal space (FIG.158). FIG. 158 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention wherethe ultra HD display 601 serves as a cubicle barrier with similarfunction as the common cubicle barrier 2007. The ultra HD display isplaced near a cubicle desk 2004 opposing the side the cubicle desk user2002 is seated. The ultra HD display is detached from the cubicle desk2004 and rests on a stand 2010 with a stand base 2012. The stand 2010may also serve as a cable management system. The stem camera 400 isshown for illustrative purposes and can be mounted in any location andother types of cameras and eye contact displays can be used with presentembodiments.

FIG. 159 illustrates the ultra HD display 601 mounted to the cubicledesk 2004 by a display desk mount 2014. Again, in this configuration theultra HD display 601 replaces the common cubicle barrier 2007. As seenin FIGS. 158 and 159, the ultra HD display 601 provides sufficientprivacy for the cubicle desk user 2004, yet additional barriers may beadded surrounding the display 601 and on other walls of the cubicleworkspace. The word “cubicle” may not now be in fashion, yet still manymanufacturers make open concept workspaces where desks and smallbarriers are placed in large open spaces. The present embodimentstransform these open workspaces with privacy barriers being created bylarge ultra HD displays 601. Additional common sound masking/noisereduction technology has been deployed to further aid in audio privacyand reducing distracting ambient noise in these open workspaces usingthe ultra HD display 601 as a replacement for the common cubicle barrier2007.

FIGS. 40-46, as previously described, teach the fabrication and uniqueapplications of novel small cameras. FIG. 44 illustrates a specifichousing nano stem camera 400 with nano camera 402. All the embodimentsdescribed for the FIGS. 40-46 are applicable to the present inventionembodiment as illustrated in FIG. 160. With the miniaturization ofcomponents such as the nano camera 402, the small camera 394, the lens398, the wire bundle 392, the electronic sensor board 404, power wirebundle 392, clear wire assembly 306, sensor mount board 408, electroniccamera board 412, sensor mount board 408, electronic wire bundle 410,and any component variation thereof is applicable to be integrated intoa consumer created housing of their choice. Specifically, the housing ofthe nano stem camera 400 is only one of hundreds of possible housingoptions of which the aforementioned camera components can be integratedwithin. The present invention, as taught in the process of FIG. 160,permits consumers the ability to buy a kit of a fully functioning cameraand then modify that camera for the application they so desire. Forexample, the nano camera 402 or similar small camera such as the smallcamera 394 need not be integrated into the nano stem camera 400elongated tube housing but a housing of an entirely different shape andfunctionality.

As illustrated FIG. 160 the steps of this embodiment of the presentinvention are described in the following steps. The consumer in a STEP 12020 accesses an online library of 3D models of camera housings, and canoptionally manipulate those 3D models. STEP 2 2022 the consumer usestheir own computing device with 3D model software for use with their own3D printer. The consumer may optionally select a housing online, modifythe housing, if available for modification, and have a third party printthe 3D model of the selected camera housing. STEP 3 2024 the selected 3Dmodel is printed “formed” and the consumer integrates the various cameracomponents and encapsulated inside of the 3D printed camera housing.Some parts need not be encapsulated such as a low voltage power wire392, a high voltage power wire 2028, a low voltage power supply 2029,and an outlet plug 2026.

3D printed housings can be made of numerous materials, but most areplastic based. It is conceivable other materials such as metal or evenwood may be automatically milled out from a 3D model into the desiredhousing. The camera components to be housed may be any common cameracomponents including, but not limited to, batteries, sensors,electronics, storage devices, lenses, wires, etc. The camera housing 3Dmodels may be used for videoconferencing, actions sports, toys,camcorder, still camera, waterproof, clip-on, security, scientific,drones, stealth in size for hidden camera uses, and many more styles ofhousings. Also, the consumer may access a 3D modeling program and createtheir own housing from scratch. All the features and connections relatedto cameras, camcorders, micro cameras, action sports cameras, wearable,professional cameras, pan/tilt/zoom cameras, broadcast cameras, IPaddressable and so on are all applicable to the present invention. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate the numerous options to build customcameras for specialty purposes with the present invention.

As described previously, the present invention is used by politicians,which includes campaigning and security purposes. The prior art FIG. 2peppers ghost has been tried for political campaigns. It proved to beextremely difficult to set-up and tear down and needed to be used indimly lit environments or used inside a draped off box or metal shippingcontainers so that the dim reflection of the image on the inclinedstretched plastic film 26 could be seen. The sheer complexity of settingup such a large apparatus at many temporary events limits its potentialuse as an effective campaign system. Further, the lack of imagebrightness in common room lit environments greatly limits its potentialwide scale adoption. What is needed is an augmented reality effect wherea live or recorded image of a politician or any speaker can appearstanding in a room at a podium and be convincingly realistic. Further,what is needed is a system that only one person can set-up in just anhour and the image is very bright under normal room lights. Further,what is needed is a rapid deployable delivery system for both movingphysical components and also network connectivity at each location forthe temporary event.

FIG. 161 resolves the aforementioned problems with the peppers ghostillusion for campaigning with rapid deployable events at many locations.FIGS. 118-120 teaches an augmented reality transparent display podium1130 and 1148 where the image is formed directly on the rear projectiontransparent podium screen 1132 making it much brighter than the PriorArt inclined stretched plastic film 26 with a dim reflection. Theadvantages are this solution is much brighter, much more compact andrequires very little set-up as compared to the peppers ghost systems.For the sake of clarity “holographic podium” in the context of FIG. 161shall mean the solution as taught in FIGS. 118-120, but also includesall other embodiments of the present invention that creates theappearance of a person is standing in the physical space of the room andcan be configured as a portable system that can be easily moved fromlocation to location, to support, for example, a political campaign, anationwide product marketing launch, or in-store events of famouspersons interacting live with crowds as a hologram. This includes theembodiments of FIGS. 24-26, 97-117, and the stage embodiments and otherrelevant embodiments described herein. Further, a mobile media news orentertainment network can deploy this solution with show hosts, guestsand entertainers interacting with audiences at many locations and alsobroadcast the show events to TV or webcast to personal computingdevices. Audience members at the events and online are able toparticipate live in these events by social media, by text, by phone, bywebchat or other communication means.

FIG. 161 teaches a rapid deployable augmented reality holographic podiumcampaign system. The solution has a single person set-up for a temporaryevent and can be repeated day after day. With dozens of these systemsdeployed, thousands of events communicates the candidates or speakersmessage whether recorded or live. For a live event, FIG. 161 firstteaches the use of a vehicle on location at a temporary site 2038. Afleet of vehicles have installed communications gear such as satellite,internet, and bonded wireless to image a live feed of the candidate.Further, the vehicle has all AV and staging for an event including abackdrop with, for example, a candidate's name and creating acomplementary background behind the holographic podium. The singleperson can set-up the holographic podium 2040 at the temporary locationand then the podium can receive the recorded or live feed of thespeaker/politician 2042 via internet, bonded wireless or satellite. Thepolitician location has a remote studio 2030 with a black drape or greenscreen with chromakey black so the speaker/politician will look as ifstanding at the holographic podium in the midst of the room. The studioproduces audio and video of the speaker/politician for transmission 2032and transmitted to the holographic podium location 2038 and alsonumerous locations with the same holographic podium set-up 2044.Further, the speaker/politician can be broadcast live and also viawebcast content delivery network 2034 to numerous types of personalinternet devices 2036 such as tablets, phones, and notebooks.Conceivably, twenty audiences at twenty locations could see live thespeaker/politician and a combined total attendance could be well above10,000 people with another 100,000 attending online with millionswatching on TV. It is also an embodiment of the present invention toincorporate an online donation system engaged by persons observing theholographic podium in-person or online and making donations by theircell phones and personal computing devices.

Further, as it relates to FIG. 161, since the production of thespeaker/politician is on a black background, that black background isthe image that is sent to the holographic podiums A black background maynot be desirable for webcast and broadcast. In that case a blackbackground can be removed or a green screen could be used in theproduction with another background added other than black. Still evenmore compelling is to webcast from an actual holographic podium with acamera capturing the actual effect so web audiences can see thespeaker/politician on the holographic podium. The present invention canuse any numerous modes of video, audio, and data transmission and may beone-way video or two-way video, multicast or multipoint. Each event andcampaign program will have various expectations of live interactions.With some transmission methods a delay of 2 seconds and even 30 secondsare common. In such a case, the speaker/politician could be cued by amoderator or questions could be delivered from a social media accountasking questions in real-time to the speaker/candidate. Such a scenariowould reduce the awareness to the audience of a significant transmissiondelay.

FIGS. 64-77 illustrates the ultra HD display 601 and its ultra HD screen602 and its various unique embodiments. Primary to that is the use ofthe large flat panel ultra HD display 601 used in a close up work zone620 where it is placed on or just behind a table or desk. In such acase, the large ultra HD screen 602 forms an immersive display that hasa screen portion 600 that can display a computer image from a PC, animage from a videoconferencing appliance, movies, TV video games, andany other video sources. Further, what is in the vacant area 607surrounding the screen portion 600 of the ultra HD screen 602 can formTV lights 605. To further advance the present embodiment is a personalshow control device 2054 as seen in FIG. 162. The device 2054 is a boxthat can be purchased by a consumer and connected to the ultra HDdisplay 601. The device is a unique and powerful multi-viewer, switcher,scaler, and purpose based computing device in which many video signalscan be seen simultaneously on the ultra HD screen 602 and each of thosemany video signals can be resized and repositioned.

Uniquely, since the personal show control device 2054 can image scale asignal from a PC monitor, settings for wide screen can be selected andused, for example, for immersive gaming and computing. Essentially, thecomputer image would be like a wide format movie and letterboxed top andbottom. Or the device 2054 can receive multiple monitor inputs from thesame PC and their multiple images can be arranged side-by-side, as ifhaving multiple computer monitors on a desk. By doing so, the clutter ofmany displays on a desk is done away with one sleek large immersivedisplay. Each of those images can be repositioned and resized anywhereon the ultra HD screen 602. As for PC gaming, the multiple video monitorinputs can be seen side-by-side and the images can be seamless formingwhat looks like an immersive and extremely wide aspect ratio gamingexperience akin to having 2 or 3 monitors on the desk and each showing aportion of the video game.

The personal show control device 2054 is preferably a purpose builtdevice that has inherent features, such as, but not limited to, anandroid based IPTV box. Apps can be downloaded and the consumer can usethe device 2054 for more than the shown control of resizing andrepositioning multiple image sources. Furthermore, the android baseddevice can have a modified GUI so that it is customized by the user andalso has specific video display features such as variations of the TVlights 605. Also, the app based ecosystem of android and similarcomputing platforms will provide many options for future deviceenhancements with online updates. For example, videoconferencingsoftware may be included and other collaboration apps. Further, for onepossible variant, an image source may be a one or more images from a PCand that image would then be seen within an android GUI providing, amongthings, an imaged wallpaper (not shown). The image manipulation ofmultiple images and maintaining the highest resolution, while beingselectably resized and repositioned on the ultra HD screen 602 requiresspecific image processing power. That image processing can be aided byspecialized chips from firms such as i-Chips USA based in San JoseCalif.

The personal show control device 2054 primarily is designed to have onevideo output to one ultra HD display 601, but more than one videooutputs are conceivable. Audio output may be embedded in an ultra HDready HDMI output and audio may also be split out to, for example,optical connection. The user is given, one of many control means, theability to select the sound associated to the selected video image seenon the ultra HD screen 602. The device 2054 and numerous inputs,including many HDMI or other standard video connections, may or may notcarry audio. It also optionally has USB and preferably many USBconnections to hook up a camera, a microphone, and other peripherals.The device 2050 may also have wireless streaming capability so thataudio and video from personal devices, such as a mobile phone, mayappear as one of the images on the ultra HD screen 602.

The personal show control device 2054 can be controlled by the user byseveral means including a remote control, a mouse, a keyboard, and apersonal device app. Also uniquely, the device 2054 can be controlled bya secure website, such as a social media site and through a personallogged in account. The device 2054 is also intended to be used in anenterprise where the information technology staff can access anyparticular device 2054 for status and remote operation and also accessall devices 2054 for, for example, remote upgrades.

As seen in FIG. 162 multiple audio/video sources 2050 are connected tothe device 2054. A controlling means 2052 by at least one of an app, asecure website, a remote control, a keyboard, a mouse, and bytransmission means of radio frequency, Bluetooth and infrared. Further,the controlling means has selection of the video source to be displayed,resizing screen segments for each selected video source, repositionsscreen segments of each video source and audio from one of the audiovideo sources. The device 2054 is a computer with an operating system,produces internal video sources of at least one of a wallpaper, TVlights, and an operating system image GUI. Further included is imageprocessing and scaling to maintain each segments highest resolutionmatching the ultra HD display resolution. Resolution matching is scalingto best utilize the ultra HD display 601 native resolution. However, aresolution less then native may be acceptable for some video sources.Conceivably, image enhancement could apply when the source video islower resolution then the segment of the ultra HD display 601. Thedevice 2054 further has at least one output to an ultra HD display 601.The device 2054 is attached to the ultra HD display 601. Though presentembodiment of FIG. 162 is presented as a consumer purchasable devicethat can be connected to an ultra HD display 601. It is to be expresslyunderstood the device 2054 may be, alternatively, integrated into theultra HD display 601.

All of the embodiments of the present invention may be incorporated intobusiness models that are based on rent, lease, service and temporaryuse, which includes charging for that temporary use or service. Thisincludes tickets to watch events on any of the disclosed stageembodiments. Such events may be placed online with tickets offered forsale. Further, the web sales presence will assist the hotels, with thestage installed, to be marketed with discounts such as “dine plus show”or “dine plus show plus stay.” The hotels will have a new marketingapproach to build up the exposure of their property. Further, privateevents will be drawn to the hotel property due to the affordability ofthe stage and production capability described herein. For example, it isconceivable the present invention described for install into the hotelmulti-purpose room 2 may reduce the cost for custom video production andlarge scale audio visual shows by as much as 80%. As a result, the hotelwill have a magnet service and technology installed which will attractclients to book events and procure the entire hotel offering includingrooms, event, and convention services. Also, the online presence formarketing reveals the entire global network of the room 2 stageexperiences. Further, the online presence reveals date and times forsuch events with ecommerce ticketing sales and booking. The onlinepresence also reveals the massive network of content categories tochoose from, including, but not limited to, live theater, movie theater,fantasy sports, video gaming events, gambling events, educationalevents, professional training events, political events, productlaunches, concerts, sport events, faith based events, diplomatic events,corporate events, charity events, to name a few.

Advances in display technology are all readily integrated andanticipated to enhance the present invention in the future. Theseadvances such as being thinner, brighter, higher resolution,auto-stereoscopic, new types of light sources, new types of lightemitting image devices and so on are all readily integrated into theembodiments of the present invention. For example, short throwprojection lens technology has made great leaps forward in recent yearsand offered by firms, such as Panasonic for a wide range of projectors.These ultra-short throw and bright projectors can be used with any ofthe embodiments described herein including, but not limited to, theembodiments of FIGS. 19, 21, 59-63, 78-82, 97-125. A short throwprojector would also aid in the Prior Art FIGS. 2 and 3 to reduce thebulk and complexity of setting up the inclined stretched plastic film26. The present invention includes in room 2 the film 26, positionedupright and, optionally other components, such as the screen 18, andstowed and concealed behind the image display concealment substrate 40(not shown). All other embodiments described herein are applicable tothat novel use of the film 26. Those skilled in the art will appreciatethe modifications of projection configurations to accommodate the novelobjectives of the present invention.

The following claims are thus to be understood to include what isspecifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptuallyequivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what essentiallyincorporates the essential idea of the invention. The embodiments are inno way limited by its application and can be utilized as an ATM machineconnected to a network, a kiosk running multiple applications, andconnected to numerous services via videoconference, a personalconferencing system, a group conferencing system, a stage conferencingsystem, a personal entertainment system, a group entertainment system, ahome videoconferencing systems, a home entertainment systems, to nameonly a few applications. Ideally, the embodiments herein are usedthroughout the travel industry including hotels, cruise lines, airports,airplanes, commuter trains, and train stations. They can be used asticket/token machines, help desks, subject matter expert terminals, anddigital signage in any type of travel, shopping or leisure locations.Also, any and all networks connecting the present invention areapplicable to, but not limited to, connecting homes, offices, buildings,corporations, governments, healthcare professionals, and educationalinstitutions. Also, any embodiment of the present invention may be usedfor accessing virtual worlds, navigating through virtual worlds,interacting with virtual worlds including interacting with virtualcharacters or live people, creating content for virtual worlds, andintegrating videoconferencing into virtual worlds.

Multi-format productions are an embodiment of the present inventionwhere the black void illusion or other types of holographic (all formsof augmented reality display) concerts or events whether being live,delayed, or stored and forwarded may also be transmitted to personalcomputing devices, TVs, and the like. Also, holographic concerts orevents can be captured live on stage by a video production team with oneor more cameras for a live broadcast of the event and streamed for livePC device and TV for pay-per-view access. The production can bemulti-format in that a VR production is captured, as well as atraditional live switched video broadcast/live stream. The use of thenumerous types of transparent screens described herein and the blackvoid illusion described herein will enable a holographic illusion of aspeaker or performer and that talk or performance can be streamed toother holographic event venues, smaller holographic displays that may,for example, be in a person's home and to millions of personal computingdevices, TVs, and the like. For example, superimposed AR where the imageof the person appears to reside in the live video taken of anenvironment on a phone or tablet and the imaged person appearssuperimposed in that environment can be seen on that phone or tabletscreen. Superimposed AR can include 2D video image of a person to ahighly advanced 3D capture and display of image of a person. Therefore,“observers” and “audience” as defined herein should also be understoodas extending to people at locations other than where the presentinvention is installed and thereby enabling reach to millions of peopleat the same time on their phones, tablets, notebooks, desktop PCs, andTVs.

Hence, it is an embodiment of the present invention to capture aspeaker, performer, singer and the like against a black background orgreen screen (or other isolating color) which can ultimately bepresented as a black background on the present invention transparentdisplays (imaged as transparent and see-through) or black void illusiondisplay and also have that same image presented as a transparentbackground thereby permitting a superimposed AR image over a live camerafeed of a real environment captured by phones, tablets, and other cameraand display systems. For example, a live concert could be in one citywhile the singer is in a studio in any other city being transmitted tothe live concert venue and also the same video production can beutilized in a streaming application to numerous phones and tabletscapable of creating superimposed AR. The singer, for example, could beseen on the phone or tablet appearing to be performing live in theperson's room standing on the floor or standing on a table. Consumerscan access the concert website or application and pay a fee to watch theconcert and select to view the concert in standard format, multi-cameraselection format, VR format, and AR superimposed format. Also,merchandise can be sold in a store in the application or website before,during, and after the concert or event. Such shopping experience couldpresent content in standard format, VR or AR.

The multi-format production for VR, mobile AR, and hologram displays,such as the black void illusion, described above is also ideal forcreating, for example, a daily news program, a talk show, an interviewshow, a sports show, a sitcom, and a drama. Live productions canoriginate from a studio or a special satellite van and/or production vanwith wireless transmission capability for location based videoproductions. AR productions can be set up quickly for green screen andthe like for productions in multiple locations in a single day. Also,image isolating technique can be used during productions instead of ablack, green or blue screen. The same mobile van can also capture VR andtraditional video for VR/AR streaming, broadcast, and videoconferences.Likewise, home studios for stars and subject matter experts can beplaced permanently in their homes for quick access to be seen on arecorded or live AR/VR program.

Further, the multi-format VR/AR production can present video recorded orlive to a phone, tablet, web, and TV application with numerous features.For example, an AR and/or VR network can be offered with numerous showsand the shows play live or are accessed from a database of recordedshows. Also, AR/VR programs can be accessed by being embedded as a menuoption while watching a specific AR/VR program and also mayautomatically present the next AR/VR program in a line up. AR/VRprograms may be presented to users based on user history preference orwatching habits. Further, AR/VR programs may offer a store formerchandise, including audio and video content downloads such as songsor movies. Further, all types of advertising may be presented in AR orVR with optional prompts for user response.

It is primary embodiment of the present invention that a multi-formatproduction transmits a live or recorded image with the intent to be seenon a personal augmented reality device and also on an AR holographicsystem, including the black void illusion, as described in numerousinventions herein, capable of producing a proportional life-size human.Further, the transmission can present a live image from a productionsite of any type of programming such as a news program and concert.Further, the multi-format production system may include VR. Personal ARdevices can include superimposed AR as described above and also headmounted systems, such as Microsoft HoloLens, Meta, and Magic LeapGlasses. For such head mounted systems all the inventive featuresdescribed above for superimposed AR are equally applicable.

Another embodiment of the present invention is to access live streamingthrough and/or recorded/stored videos at a video delivery site which maybe a private dedicated server or a site such as You Tube and have videosof persons and objects seen against, for example, green screen hat thencan be accessed by an AR application on a phone, tablet and the like.For example, a live video podcast of a person, or any kind of program,could be video captured and streamed to the video delivery site and thatvideo would then be accessed by an AR app to superimpose that person onan image of an environment captured by a phone or tablet camera.Further, the video could be streamed through the video delivery site tothousands of users watching it on the video delivery site and also theycan access it through the AR app. That AR app may also have a layer ofactionable control such as polling or a store to purchase items, orsimply present AR advertising which may be user demographic, habit,preferences and other data targeted. Viewers may see the video of theimaged person or object at the video delivery site with a green screenbackground and will also enjoy that same live video as an AR image ontheir phone, tablet and the like. To make the image on the videodelivery site more enjoyable the color black maybe a background insteadof the more common green or blue. In that case black would be the keycolor for the image isolation by the AR app. Also the video image,whether streamed live or uploaded to the video delivery site, may haveincluded in post or real-time a matte for the key used by the AR app.While 2D images of people work well as AR images 3D images and 3Dcapable AR apps can be used as well. Further, the AR app could beprogrammed to add a shadow or reflection for a person seen on screen, toname only a few image manipulating options. The multi format productionmay also capture a person for a streamed live show or recorded videoshow and produced against green screen, or equivalent variant, and thatshow is seen with a virtual set enjoyed by the You Tube community andalso is offered to the community of viewers and fans as a AR app fortheir phone, tablets and the like.

The imaged speaker 68 (or any other imaged person described herein) isseen amongst the black void on image screen 43 (or other variantsdescribed herein) as introduced and described in FIG. 4A, FIGS. 7 & 8,and elsewhere, creating the illusion that the imaged speaker 68 (FIG. 7)is standing in the black void of a stage since no visible reference ofthe image screen 43 is recognizable to the audience in the sitting zone14. The “imaged speaker 68” is also referred to in text as the “imagedperson 68” and for clarity are used interchangeably and have the samemeaning in that the speaker may be a performer or any role of person onthe image screen 43 appearing to be on stage. Also, the imaged speaker68 may be interpreted as multiple people imaged on the image screen 43.The vertical reflective substrate 60, as well as sections 74, 76, andpanels 84, 86, and 88, and the like, are optional. Reflecting aforeground upon the image screen 43 or the surrounding black mask 46 isas well optional.

The black void illusion is applicable to the stage and also to smallerdisplays, portable systems, a stage built into travelling trucks,digital signage, movie theaters, billboards, museum displays, medicalimaging displays, control rooms, and any other potential application andconfiguration described herein or other logically derived from theteaching of this text and figures. For example, for smaller displays thesurrounding black mask 46 may be a black painted wall or pop-up blackcolored sign, among many other options. A display such as an enhancedblack capable display such as a 65″ QLED or OLED display is placed infront of or adjacent to the surrounding black mask 46. The black displaybecomes absorbed in the surrounding black mask 46 creating the back voidillusion. Objects and people imaged in the black void appear floating orpresent in the large black environment and visibly do not look containedin the smaller display but within larger black environment. Thesurrounding black mask 46 may be adjacent to the display or behind it afew inches, a few feet or more. Also, a physical object such as a podiumhousing, a table, a kiosk and the like can be placed below the displaycreating the illusion of a person recorded, broadcast or live standingor sitting at the object. So a compelling black void illusion can becreated without the need for a head-to-toe video production and thesurrounding black mask 46 need not fully surround the image on thesmaller display. Even a torso video shot of a person self-created fromtheir desktop PC, notebook, tablet or phone and can be seen on thesmaller black void illusion display. In such a case, a person in theirhome could appear in any part of the world recorded, broadcast or videoconferenced standing at a black void illusion podium or sitting at ablack void illusion table proportionally life-size. It is preferred aframeless TV display is used or a frame can be concealed with blackpaint, cloth, and the like to make it disappear amongst the surroundingblack mask 46.

All of the present invention is applicable to entertainment mediums,including displaying any type of production. For example, the imagedspeaker 68 within the black void illusion, or other imaged personsdisclosed herein may be recorded or live. The imaged person may be anentertainer, singer, religious leader, politician, teacher, and so on.The imaged person may be a digital recreation, a prosthetic make-upenhanced person, a look alike, and/or any combination to resurrect afamous singer, politician, historical figure, and other living ordeceased people. Characters may also be digitally created as an animatedcharacter that is realistically human or cartoonish. Further, the person1078 may be a synthesized created person which uses a combination ofmake-up and computer generated imagery, such as placing the digitalanimated head of a person onto a real videographed body. This techniqueoften speeds production time and saves on production costs. Thesedigital characters may be recorded or live interactive from an AIapplication, animation system, video segments, or real-time performanceanimation to interact with a single user or an audience. The performerusing one or more processes of performance animation may be recorded,local or remote and may connect via broadcast or telepresence so theexperience is fully interactive. All of the variations described aboveare, for simplicity, defined herein as imaged persons and areinterchangeable with an imaged singer, an imaged character, and thelike. The images may originate from a recorded source, a broadcast suchas a common video/audio satellite feed which may be two-way audio andone-way video, and telepresence. Specifically, the above variations ofthe imaged speaker 68, or other imaged persons as described herein, areapplicable to many applications and configurations of the black voidillusion described herein.

The imaged speaker 68 appears on stage and described herein asoriginating from a transmission from a recorded playback device (eitherlocal or remote), a broadcast or a telepresence connection. Aspreviously taught, any of the imaged persons described in thisspecification when seen on stage should be proportional life-size withsome flexibility to modify that true proportionality, if not noticeableto the observing user or audience as being unnatural. It is to beexpressly understood that the definition of a proportional life-sizeperson as used in the entirety of this specification and claims meanswithin an approximation of what is observed as natural appearing to asingle observer or to an audience. Hence, a proportional life-sizeperson as imaged on any of the described inventions herein may besmaller or larger than the actual person being videographed. Also, theimaged person's feet are aligned to the stage floor to maintain realismof the experience. For matters of definition, a stage floor can be anyfloor a person naturally appears to stand upon. The stage floor may bethe actual floor of the stage or may be a raised floor simulated withprops and scenery. A stage floor also may be one of many floors of ascene, such as a balcony in a certain stage set design. Further, thestage floor may be reflective to present a reflection of the speaker 68on the stage floor.

The imaged speaker 68 is viewed by an audience of one or a multitude.The names of “observer,” “user,” “viewer,” “audience,” and the like areinterchangeable as it relates to the present invention and all have incommon that they observe the imaged speaker 68, or other describedimaged person herein, amongst the stage environment. Further, the imagescreen 43 can display a background that the image speaker 68 is seenamongst and may interact with that background image. The image screen 43may also be constructed in many layers creating depth illusions onstage. These multi-layered effects are compelling experiences which canimage the imaged speaker 68 standing amongst a star field, a forest orwhatever one can imagine. Also, the content displayed on the imagescreen 43 may be coordinated with content upon multiple layers of imagedisplays on stage enabling compelling stories. It is to be expresslyunderstood that all the described embodiments and features are appliedto the stage may well apply to the black void illusion and applied toany type of display application, such as digital signage or a corporatetelepresence room.

In all the above described configurations, the black void illusion isthat of the imaged speaker 68 appearing real and on stage. Further,actors, a band, an orchestra, props, to name a few, can be placed infront of the image screen 43 further providing contextual realism to theimaged speaker 68. For example, a recorded singer may appear on stagewith a live musical talent, such as a band or orchestra creating theillusion that the singer is present on stage interacting with andsinging perfectly with the band or orchestra. Likewise, charactersimaged upon the screen 43 can be seen with live acting talent in frontof the image screen 43. Likewise, the imaged character on the imagescreen 43 may interact with live acting talent. The image screen mayalso be stage forward with actors, a band or orchestra to the left andthe right and behind the imaged speaker 68. In such a case the imagescreen 43 may be in sections on stage, curved or angled, permitting livepeople on stage to appear to be behind the imaged speaker 68.

Also, it is a primary embodiment of the present invention to buildand/or retrofit the described systems into movie theaters and inclinemovie seat theaters as an alternative venue to the large hotelmultipurpose room 2. In such case, a new or existing movie theater withor without inclined seats serve as a new multi-purpose exhibition space.The black void illusion of the present invention lends itself perfectlyto creating the appearance of imaged live or recorded people on stagewhen in fact they are video images seen in a movie theater. Frontprojection movie screens may create this illusion, as describedpreviously, but is frustrated by the lack of contrast of the lightcolored front projection screen among other factors. This may beovercome by projecting upon screens that preserve a deep black level,such as black fabric and other front projection screen technologies. Theimage display 42 with its image screen 43, constructed of, for exampleLEDs, may be used to show movies at a movie theater instead of frontprojection. Or the display 42 may be used for events other than watchingfilm so the lights in the room can be fully on. Some configurations mayuse common front projection screens for movies that mechanically retractrevealing the image display 42 serving as a secondary screen option tocreate the black void illusion and other common video content.

The present invention uniquely increases the cost effectiveness ofdeploying LED display technology, as well as other display technologiesdescribed herein, into a movie theater since it can be used under fulllight for events other than film watching and also provides the blackvoid illusion and other illusions of a live stage with imaged realpeople, live transmitted or recorded, on stage. Exhibitors and studioscan now offer with the present invention a live stage appearing showbefore the movie begins, interludes during the movie, and after themovie. Also, special live stage appearing “movies” simulating a liveperformance is now possible. Additionally, stars can appear live viabroadcast and videoconference to create a more compelling entertainmentexperience. Further, the formats of traditional movie and a live stagecan be mixed throughout a performance. Further, real actors present inthe theater can interact with live transmitted or recorded actors andcharacters on the image screen 43 and are lit on stage with stagelighting as described previously. Lastly, all of the uses, applications,and configurations described herein for the hotel multipurpose room 2built for or retrofitted with the present invention are applicable tomovie theaters and inclined seat movie theaters. Hence, the presentinvention enables a movie theater to be constructed with an LED imagedisplay 42 with an LED image screen 43 which permits two modes of use ofdisplaying movies and the black void illusion described herein creatingthe appearance of life-size proportional people on stage and imagedlive, recorded, broadcast or video conferenced.

It is to be expressly understood, all of the relevant embodiments of thepresent invention are intended to be installed into an inclined seatmovie theater as well as a non-inclined seat movie theater. Suchmechanical, optical and electrical systems, such as the stage floor,lighting, drapery, retracting drapery, show control, and any othercommon stage technology will be evident to those skilled in the artafter fully understanding the disclosed embodiments related to the largehotel multipurpose room 2. For example, the stage lighting rig 124 maybe self-supporting or be mounted to the side of the theater walls andhidden from audience view (not shown). Also, the left roll-up panel 84,the right roll up panel 86, and the center roll up panel 88 can bemechanically affixed to the ceiling or supported by columns (all notshown) and when lowered converts the movie theater into a theatricallive stage with a proscenium framing a stage opening where actorsreside, or in this case any live person(s) on stage and any imagedperson(s) appearing on the image screen 43. It is a primary embodimentof the present invention to convert and retrofit a movie theater with arapid retracting proscenium so that the movie theater can be used in afirst mode of use as a common movie theater, such as a typical multiplexwith no proscenium, and as a live theater stage with full prosceniumenabling the black void illusion. The stage with stage floor, in themovie theater may be constructed to easily set-up and dismantle orremains permanent in the theater and optionally mechanicallyretractable. Also a stage with stage floor may not exist as a functionalstage and be one of simulated in the actual video image on the imagescreen 43 where the imaged speaker 68 appears to stand or a retractingprop stage made of fabric or other material that simulates a functionalstage. The image of the simulated stage with stage floor, or at leastthe simulated floor portion of the stage, can be created to create avirtual stage with floor seen in the bottom portion of the image screen43. Numerous video effects and animated effects can increase the realismof the image of the stage with stage floor where the imaged speakerappears to be standing. Techniques using shadows, reflections, lightbeams, depth perspective in shape and even color can all be used tocreate the image of a realistic stage and stage floor even though itdoes not physically exist (not shown). Also the prop stage with stagefloor, as mentioned above, or even a real stage may have a selection offloor materials from shiny reflection to light absorbing materialdepending on the effect wanted for the imaged speaker 68 appearing to beon stage. All methods to roll up, fold, hingedly swing, retract,conceal, to name a few, to create the proscenium with theater drapery,panels, and LEDs are preferred, but not the only method or material toachieve the retracting proscenium. Also, the lower seats of the movietheater could be removed or remain and the stage is built on-top of therarely used seats (not shown). Movie theaters are various sizes so eachvenue should have control of one or parts of the image display 42 on theimage screen 43 to ensure the imaged speaker 68 is proportionallylife-size. All of the benefits, embodiments, and features described forthe hotel multi-purpose room installation, production, operation,distribution, and more described herein are applicable to the presentmovie theater invention. That also includes user created shows usingonline storyboarding tools and access to large augmented reality objectlibraries and stage light set-ups that are real and virtual (allpreviously described).

The Peppers Ghost illusion may also be applied to embodiments describedherein for hotel multi-purpose rooms and movie theaters. The Pepper'sGhost illusion is improved upon by the present invention in numerousembodiments, yet provides performance challenges as compared to thedirect view black void illusion as described herein. As seen in PriorArt FIG. 2, the Peppers Ghost illusion is extremely bulky andcumbersome. Attempting to retrofit the Peppers Ghost illusion into aninclined seat theater is highly problematic because the vertical viewingangle of the audience is obstructed by the angle of the stretchedplastic film 26 (not shown). The present invention overcomes thisdrawback and permits the audience seated in inclined seats to have anunobstructed view by tilting the optic at a steeper angle andcorrespondingly to the reflected image source from below. Theconfiguration is seen and discussed in FIGS. 78 and 79 and directlyapplicable to inclined seat movie theaters where the angled film 720reflects the slanted image screen 736. The slanted image screen 736 maybe any display including front projection with multiple projectors whichare used to create a large single image. The angle film may be stretchedplastic or any other substrate that achieves the characteristics asdescribed for FIGS. 78 and 79. All of the benefits, embodiments, andfeatures described for the hotel multi-purpose room installation,production, operation, distribution, and more described herein areapplicable to the present inclined seat movie theater invention,retrofitted to existing theaters or designed into new theaters, with thePepper's Ghost illusion. Further, movies can be played on the system andthe angled film 720 can be designed to retract for a direct view of amovie screen or fold down into a stage floor or upon the display sourcethe angled film 720 reflects (not shown). Lastly, the angled film 720can be configured to reflect an image display from above and also enablea high vertical viewing angle for people seated in an inclined seattheater.

Alternatively, as described for FIG. 149 open weave fabrics and varioustypes of mesh, as well as other transparent image screens describedherein, will create an impressive illusion of the image speaker 68 andobjects floating on stage in a movie theater. This, as well as alldirect front and rear projection embodiments described herein, areapplicable to be retrofitted into movie theaters and incline seat movietheaters. All of the benefits, embodiments, and features described forthe hotel multi-purpose room installation, production, operation,distribution, and more described herein are applicable to the presentmovie theater and inclined seat movie theater invention, retrofitted toexisting theaters or designed into new theaters, with front and rearprojection transparent screens.

The image speaker 68 may be any type of human image transmitted by meanssuch as a live broadcast feed, a videoconference, and a recordedplayback from a remote or local device. The image speaker 68 may be asinger or actor, live or recorded and interact with or perform inconjunction with live talent on stage, such as live singers, actors, aband or an orchestra. The imaged speaker 68 may be a live performanceanimation or recorded digitally created human. The digital human mayalso be a synthesized combination of a videographed human body with adigital head. The digitally created human may be a character withhumanoid characteristics, such as a cartoon character. The imagedspeaker 68 is also referred to in the text as an imaged person beinggenerically any role of a person imaged by the present invention.

The image display 42 possessing the image screen 43 is ideally an LEDscreen which today represents the required specification of the presentinvention (see FIG. 4A). LED fine pitch displays are becoming moreaffordable. 1.9 mm pixel pitch LED displays or finer have provedadequate to display people proportionally life-size so long as theaudience is about 20 feet away from the screen. Finer or less fine pitchdisplays are all relevantly applicable to the present invention. Mostall LED displays now provide connectors between modules so that a verylarge surface area, largest enough for a movie theater screen, can befabricated with no visible seams. True deep black levels are criticalfor the success of the black void illusion previously described.Advances in LED, making the actual emitter dark in color, greatlyenhances the black level. Also, constructing LEDs with deep black levelsare made possible by a black matrix mesh between the pixels, furtherenhancing the black levels. LEDs include any type of LED screens and alladvancements to that display art. For example, chip on board LEDs,surface mount device LEDs, and micro LEDs are all under the category ofan LED based image display 42. Sony Cledis LED technology certainly isapplicable to the present invention because of its superior black leveldue to the fact that the micro LEDs allow much more black surface area.Samsung Cinema micro LED is also a superior choice type of LCD. MicroLED displays have a black surface area surrounding the micro LEDsgreater than the area consumed by the micro LEDs. This increased blacksurface area is a critical factor in the true black performance of thedisplay and providing the highest quality black void illusion describedherein. As a result, the black void illusion can be enjoyed even innormal room lighting. No matter the LED technology a primary embodimentof the present invention is to incorporate a surrounding black area ofmesh or paint or black color around individual LED lights to increasethe black levels of the LED based image display 42 with its image screen43 and thereby vastly improving the black void illusion of the presentinvention. Further, a primary embodiment of the present invention is toenable the black void illusion by using micro LED. Further, a primaryembodiment of the present invention is the LED display screen, includingmicro LED screen, has a non-LED black surface area greater than a LEDlight source surface area. This applies to the image screen 43 of thedisplay 42, or other display with screen described herein. Exoticcoatings that enable super black qualities, such as Vanta Black, can aswell be applied. Gloss and dull black finish may also be incorporatedfor particular effect that may improve the black level of the LED. TheLED may be also support 3D which may or may not require an audience towear glasses to support the 3D experience.

An embodiment of the present invention is to place lights at one moreparts of the proscenium of the stage creating the observationalphenomenon of the eye stopping down the black level to compensate forthe brighter light and therein making the black void appear blacker.This technique to increase the apparent black levels of the image screen43 is an embodiment of the present invention. For example, LEDs may makeup the proscenium arch (left, right, and top of the stage opening) andmay have video content (not shown). The light emanating from this may besufficiently bright to increase the apparent black levels of the imagescreen 43 as observed by an audience. Also, the proscenium arch made ofLEDs give additional depth cues and creative options for an event orshow. Lastly, this may be scaled down to a meeting room size or evendesk size with a light source surrounding the image screen 43. Oneexample would be a futuristic portal that looks like a black void withsurrounding lighting defining the portal in which to gaze into. Thesurrounding lights, whether LED or not, may also be retractable asdescribed similarly in the text.

An embodiment of the present invention is the image display 42 with itsimage screen 43 is deployed on stage in sections and those sectionsplaced closer or further way from the audience (not shown). In thatcase, each section has video objects, including the imaged speaker 68,which are surrounded in black and the edges of the layers of sectionsare unnoticeable since they are black-on-black. As a result, the blackvoid becomes a multilayered 3D effect where, for example, video stageprops/scenery elements can appear at differing depths of the stage fromthat of the imaged speaker 68 (not shown). Alternatively, multi-layereddepth can be created with a curved or angled image display 42 with itsimage screen 43 at various distances away from the audience. Anotherembodiment of the present invention is physically moving the imagedisplay 42 by being mechanically positioned, flown in, carried in, orrolled onto stage and moved about creating a moving 3D depth illusionwithin the black void (not shown). Numerous impressive video effectscould be created such as the imaged speaker 68, seen in the image screen43, walking from back of the stage to the front of the stage and theimage display 42 is matched in a mechanical rolling motion to match thewalking of the imaged speaker 68.

All of the above are applicable to numerous stage applications and iswell suited to create virtual scenery systems for one of many types ofvenues including performing arts theaters, amusement park theaters, anddark rides with the black void illusion, described herein, seen aspeople ride through an experience. Video objects imaged upon the imagescreen 43 are seen amongst the black void illusion and all appearadditionally three dimensional when possessing at least one of a mass, areflectance, a shading, a motion, and a light beam. The image screen 43displays continuous black which by definition herein means creating theblack void illusion which need not be entirely black but have portionsthat are black and portions that are illuminated with video objects butall combined do not readily make the audience aware of the image screen43 by revealing the edge of the display or video content that revealsthe flat image screen 43.

The black void illusion, described herein, may be modified for variousapplications. For touring concerts, the image display 42 may bemassively large for an arena. In such a case, proportional life-sizepeople can interact with animated objects or characters 20 feet tall orgreater. In an arena, controlling the lights and creating a purposebuilt stage to ensure the image screen 43 remains black as possible isparamount to create the black void illusion. The image display 42 withimage screen 43 displaying the black void illusion shows the imagedspeaker 68 and volumetric video objects and may be built into a portablesmall stage and used, for example, for VIP security for corporate andgovernment officials that need to appear in a hostile environment. Theexperience may, as well, be built into a large truck or truck trailerand the cargo hold has the present invention making it a quick set-uptravelling stage. This black void depth illusion with the imaged speaker68 and video objects, as described throughout the text, is applicable tobe imaged in at least one of a meeting room display, a podium display, akiosk display, a classroom display, a retail display, a desktop display,a portable display, and a large format display located in the room thatis at least one of a hotel room, a hotel multi-purpose room, aconvention center room, a theater room, a theater with inclined seatsroom, a cruise ship room, a house of worship room, a concert venue room,a meeting room, a presentation room, a studio room, and a classroom; theimaged person is at least one of a politician, a teacher, a speaker, anentertainer, a doctor, a clergy person, a business person, a sittingperson, and a standing person.

The present black void illusion invention and its variants have alsobeen demonstrated as an embodiment of the present invention to createentire theatrical scenes isolating in the void images of both small andmassive virtual props, such as buildings, rooms, and even outdoorscenes, such as a forest. Further, merged scenes can be created wherereal props can augment virtual props enhancing the depth of a threedimensional scene. For example, a virtual building can be created withdepth perspective cues, such as one or two point perspectives, and thoseperspective cues could extend to a physical prop building adjacent tothe image screen 43 (not shown). In such a case, the prop serves as avisual cue of a mid-ground of the depth of the stage. The imaged speaker68 and live actors on stage can appear to interact with and within thesemerged scenes. In some artistic variations of these virtual scenes, andmore specifically, these merged scenes that combine both the virtual andthe real forming a seamless theatrical setting, need not be isolatedcompletely in a black void and could even fill the expanse of the stage.Further, depth perspective and forced perspective cues can be done withcarefully formulated animation and videography seen on the image screen43 creating a simulated floor, a simulated floor that extends theexisting stage floor, a simulated virtual imaged stage light, asimulated light behind the imaged speaker 68, and a simulated theatricalscene backdrop behind the imaged speaker 68.

FIG. 9 illustrates the magnification screen 88 floating amidst the blackvoid of the image screen 43 and creating an image frame within thelarger image screen 43. That portion of the screen may be a separatevideo signal that shows not only the magnification image of imagedspeaker 68 but also can be any video or computer source. A primaryembodiment of the present invention is to permit users to easily selecta variety of artistic and depth perspective visualization of the screen88. For example, the imaged speaker 86 may have a slide deckpresentation on his computer. He can certainly display it in a common 2Dformat on the screen 43. However, the present invention enables theimaged speaker 68, a show controller or any person to show the videoand/or computer source through an image processing unit that can framethe image source in one of many artistic designs and may add motion,reflection, shadows, and perspective. So the simple slide deckpresentation now appears to be a solid dimensional object floating inthe black void space of the stage. Some show image processors now havethis capability and advances in real-time graphics processing usinggaming engines, such as Unity and Unreal Engine may be customized forthis application. The image source from the personal computer is“pinned” into an animation combining the image source with the animatedobject is one possible method to achieve the desired results. Also, manycomputer and video sources can be animated and manipulated at the sametime on the image screen 43. Hence, the image frame of the magnificationscreen 88 can show more than a magnified image of the speaker 68 and canhave its video source in an animated real-time rendered object thattakes the shape of that object Pinning the video source into thereal-time animated object effectively combines the video source and theobject as one complete object that can be manipulated in size, shape,movement, and other animated features.

Beyond manipulating a simple video or personal computer source, gamingengines open up an entirely new world to create elaborate virtual andinteractive content with the present invention. On stage, the imagedspeaker 68 can control and literally walk through any virtual scene or aperson live on-stage can appear to the audience to be in the virtualscene as well. All of this is now possible and a primary embodiment ofthe present invention. When combined with the black void illusion theexperience creates compelling visual experiences which may incorporateself-illuminated props, image map projected props, and even a videofloor coordinated with the virtual scene seen upon the image screen 43.Added to that a library of effects that can be easily called up andrendered in real-time permits novices to create the most advancedappearing stage presentations. Further, new types of video games coulduse this larger than life platform and even professional and militarytraining could be conducted with the present invention. Further, thegaming engine technology may also be used to create the virtual stagelight 87, making it and many of them fully interactive and customizablefor an event. Further, the virtual stage light 87 may be coordinatedwith a show control with real stage lights.

As described in FIG. 4A the display wall side of the room 3 may be thelarge hotel multi-purpose room 2 with the massive image display 42positioned near it. The image display 42 is vertically orientedsubstantially straight up with its image screen facing the audience. Itis to be clearly understood that the large hotel multi-purpose room 2may be another room entirely different such as a movie theater, controlroom, performing arts stage, meeting room, office and so on. Also thedisplay wall side of the room 3 is presented for understanding theorientation and the image display 42 which may be close to or far awayfrom any structural wall. Also it is descriptive to assist withunderstanding the orientation of the audience or user to the imagescreen 43. The image display 42 covers a substantial portion of the wallit is placed near and “substantial” means a portion of the wall onlywith no further definition needed such as determining the exact portionof the wall that is covered. Lastly, the massive image display 42 neednot be massive when applied to the numerous embodiments andconfigurations disclosed herein. For example, the present invention maybe configured into a small conference system and placed on a desktop andthe wall would simply be the wall behind the system opposite theaudience/user. The present invention and its numerous inventiveembodiments may be adapted to many other applications smaller or larger.

The image display 42 may be a front or rear projection variant aspreviously discussed which means the component of the front projectionscreen serves as the image screen 43 with an associated projector. Assuch the image display 42 should, in all novel inventions describedherein, be considered to have the variant of being a projection screenwith an associated projector component. The present inventions areconceived of and configured as either or both as terminals and systems.Terminals may, in one instance be a product that is opened and removedfrom a box or has components that need to be assembled to make the finalsolution. As systems the unique components and their unique relationshipto each other and their unique functionality with each other is one ofseveral types of a system. Whether conceived as a terminal or a systemthe black void illusion with the the continuous black surface need notbe observed through or upon the inclined stretch plastic film 26 or anyangled optical substrate (prior art FIG. 2 and FIG. 3). The novelinventions as described herein enable numerous products and custom buildconfigurations for many applications.

As previously discussed a show control system for a movie theater ispreferred since it currently automates what content will be played andat what time and also triggers various functions in a theater, such asdimming house lights. It is a primary embodiment of the presentinvention to enable a show control system to automate content andintegrated elements that are intended to support the black void illusionin a first mode of use where the imaged speaker 68 (collectively theimage speaker 68 or any other imaged person in the black void illusionillustrated or described herein) appears to be standing proportionallylife-size on stage as if in a live theater. In a second mode of use, theshow control returns the cinema back to its standard use as a movietheater which may display a superior HDR High Dynamic Range movie andfurther seen on an impressive direct view LED cinema screen. It does notmatter which mode of use if defined by first or second, simply at leasttwo modes of use. HDR movies in movie mode are stunningly improved overtraditional digital projection. In live theater mode (recorded or livebroadcast/telepresence), the imaged speaker in the black void can be apart of a preshow ad, a first act music performance, a lecture,political event, Broadway, esports, and any experience imaginable. Also,movies can have complementary live theater black void performances orspeaker interludes before, during, and after the movie.

The show control rapidly converts the environment of the movie theaterby controlling house lights, stage lights, virtual stage lights,mechanical systems, such as moving drapes and moving stage floors(described later). In the first mode of use, the intent is to present tothe observers the visual impression of being in a live theater wherethey expect live actors and presenters to walk out on stage, and in asecond mode of use, is a standard functional movie theater. Of courselive people may come out on stage and perform but the present inventionpermits the image of people to appear virtually on the screen 43. Theseimaged people may be live transmitted from another location or recordedimages creating the impression of the essence of live. The live theatermode of using the black void illusion has numerous elements that areselectively deployed and controlled by cues from the show controlsystem. The following are examples of what can be controlled. The framerate of the video may increase from the common movie frame rate of 24frames to assist in the illusion of the imaged people being live. Drapesleft of stage and right of stage may appear mechanically flanking thetheatrical stage. Further, a drapery valance may be mechanicallylowered. Stage lights of any type may turn on and be coordinated to aperformance, including lasers and other exotic lights. Stage lights canbe positioned anywhere in the theater but may ideally be placed beyondthe edges of the image screen 43 at near the same plane of the imagescreen 43 and also forward of the image screen 43. An atmosphere deviceto produce haze may be added to make the stage light beams more visible.A left of stage light panel and a right of stage light panel and a topof stage light panel all may be illuminated to define the impression ofa live theater as seen by the observers (which includes a concert venueand the like). The panels may be illumined LED, illumined drapes,illumined light boxes, illumined video displays, and the like and may becontrolled in the state of on and off, in their intensity ofillumination, color of illumination, pattern of illumination and evenvideo image content illumination from a projection source or beinginherently a direct view display. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that additional elements can be controlled by the showcontrol system to support the modes of use. The programming may be doneoff-site or on-site and may be included in a DCP file (Digital CinemaProgram) or uploaded by any means.

The first mode of use simulates the imaged speaker 68 in a movie theaterthat rapidly transforms creating a live theater and a second mode of useproviding a standard movie experience as previously described and may befurther enhanced by having layers of “hologram” effects. As describedfor FIG. 149, forward projection substrate 1506 is a partiallytransparent projection surface which may be moved into view by theobservers during the mode of live theater. The substrate is placedbetween the image screen 43 and the observers. The substrate 1506 maydisplay the imaged speaker 68, magnification image 88, the object image90, and the light beam 87. No images need be seen on the image screen 43behind. Or both the image screen 43 and the substrate may show imageswhich are independent of one another or synchronized for certain visualeffects, presentations, and storytelling. The image substrate 1506produces an augmented reality image where the image content has a blackbackground and that black background is displayed as transparent on thesubstrate 1506. The image speaker 68, seen on the substrate 1506, may bea recorded image or transmitted live by broadcast or telepresence.Alternatively, the first mode of use for the live theater has the imagedspeaker 68 not in a black void, but appear proportionally life-size,standing at a stage and amongst a full screen image of a proportionallyreal environment image on image screen 43. For example, the imagespeaker 68, being recorded or live transmitted, may be standing onstage, but also appearing standing inside an imaged room from one pointor multiple-point perspectives creating the appearance of a live stageset. The set being an image of a real set and proportionally accurate toa real environment. For example, the audience would see the left andright walls and ceiling and back wall of the image—essentially lookinginto a room. Other real environment imaged sets, props, and scenes maybe imaged so long as they are proportionally accurate that would beresiding in the stage of a live theater. Autostereoscopic, stereoscopic,light field displays and other 3D type displays would enhance thisillusion. Uniquely, the cinema room in live theater mode then is rapidlytransformed back into a standard movie theater. All of the above iscontrolled by a show control system which also supports thesynchronization of the various image sources and even the remoteoperation of the display devices and audio for coordinated programmedperformances.

The two modes of use for a movie theater transforms rapidly into a livetheater, creating hologram illusions of imaged people on stage and alsorequires special attention to audio mixing. The science and art ofmixing audio for the movies is highly complex, but usually is done so inthe context of enhancing the movies with surrounding audio. Voicesemanate from the image screen 43 in movie mode for realism andenvironmental sounds leverage speakers positioned throughout the movietheater. For LED cinema, audio mixing should be done with the context ofknowing audio speakers may not be mounted behind the image screen 43which is challenging for voice positioning and also, the hard surface ofthe LED cinema screen may affect the final audio mix. Numerous virtualaudio placement technologies and systems exist that can create theauditory illusion that sound emanates from a location other than thesource audio speaker. All such technologies and systems are applicableto creating the illusion that voices originate from the center of thecinema screen even though no audio speaker is located behind and aimedthrough the screen. For example, audio speakers aimed and reflected offthe screen 43 has proven to work sufficiently well.

The present invention conceives that an existing movie theater with anLED cinema screen is used to mix audio for movies, enabling the audioengineer a real world reference while audio mixing is occurring.Further, the present invention also conceives the imaged speaker 68 hasvocals and any other audio mixed for parameters to simulate theacoustics of a “live music” venue. For example, image speaker 68 is asinger and when she sings her voice should appear to reflect off wallsand reverberate as if in a live music venue, such as a concert hall, abar stage or even an arena. Specifically, each mode of live theater andmovie needs to have distinctively different audio engineering for eachmode of use.

It is a primary embodiment of the present invention to create a virtualtheatrical stage lighting system where the virtual light beam 87 (FIG.8) seen upon the image screen 43 may be one or numerous light beams withoptional imaged light fixtures. Further, the virtual light beams 87 arecreated to appear ultra-realistic and being programmed or performed intandem with real stage lights (such as side lighting rig 124). Forexample, real stage lights may be any type of stage light, such asmoving head stage lights, and have the ability for modifying lightoutput such as in intensity, color, light pattern, movement, beampattern, to name a few. The virtual stage lights beam 87 and theirimaged fixtures and even the visible atmosphere in motion in the lightbeam may be an animation, a video or a combination of both. The virtuallight beams 87 are ideally programmed and performed using the samelighting consoles used for real stage light performances. These lightconsoles used for performances can be used for live shows using theblack void illusion and also may be programmed for duplication inhundreds of movie theaters, hotels or other environments, using theblack void illusion and thereby recreating the same exact show in manylocations. The advancement of virtual lights imaged on stage which areproportional real size and simulating real light beams gives a lightingdesigner a new way to create impressive shows. It is primary embodimentof the present invention where virtual stage lights as described hereinare programmed and/or performed real-time in coordination with one or aplethora of real stage lights. The lighting designer can select virtuallights and real lights to move in sequence, select similarity in color,and so on in numerous creative options all coordinated for a recorded orlive show. Virtually imaged stage trusses and cabling and other stageelements will also aid in creating a virtual stage environment soobservers will believe they are looking at real lights. The virtuallight beams are ideally suited for the black void illusion, but willalso offer creative opportunity for video imagery that is not in thedepth of a black void.

Stage light pre-visualizers are currently utilized on computer screensto visualize what a light show would be like once installed. Theanimation on these systems are very crude and meant to simplycommunicate the idea of the show design. The present invention createsultra-realistic animations of virtual light beams 87 and fixtures withthe intent to be placed on a massive screen, such as image screen 43,and coordinated with the virtual lights 87 in some applications withreal stage lights. As such, the virtual beam of light must beconvincingly real. The present invention teaches that a virtual lightbeam is animated with an atmosphere (any particulate in the air, such asfog, dust, smoke, vapor, and so on) and that atmosphere is in motionwith perceived degrees of density that is seen by the observers in thevirtual light beam. Further, light beam 87 may be aimed at, follow, andappear to fall upon and strike the imaged speaker 68. Live and recordedeffects can achieve this by changing light intensity upon the imagedspeaker 68 from a studio light source. Alternatively, various techniquesfor real-time or post production can create the illusion that thevirtual light beam 87 appears to strike the imaged speaker 68. Further,the virtual light beam 87 may be aimed toward the floor and create apool of light disposed on an imaged floor or that pool of light can beformed creating the impression of an actual floor. The animation of thevirtual light beam 87 and its corresponding animated fixture source canbe recorded or performed in real-time for an event.

The imaged light fixtures described above and seen in the figures withthe virtual light beam 87 are imaged virtual light fixtures which areideally 3D modeled and animated to look like real light fixtures. 3Dmodels can be rendered over time but it is preferred to be real-time forimmediate visual presentation and control (such as performed from alight console for a live show). The present invention enables dozens andeven hundreds of virtual and real lights and fixtures to be coordinatedfor impressive events and shows. As originally conceived the presentinvention recognized the advancement of videogame engines and the powerto control virtual lights and virtual fixtures with any type of controlprotocol such as DMX. The performance of the virtual lights 87 andvirtual fixtures can be live and recorded. Recorded can be a videoand/or can be programmed to activate automatically with a show controlsystem. A light designer/director can create shows for live events,recorded video presentations and automatically engaged programmedvirtual lights, virtual fixtures and even coordinated with real lightfixtures. The lighting design/director can also control the virtuallights live from remote locations and even at multiple locations at thesame time. The virtual light beam 87 emanates from the imaged virtuallight fixture and convincingly makes the audience believe they areobserving real light fixtures and light beams on stage. The imagedvirtual light fixtures can be any type of light fixture and any type ofstage light fixture including strobes, moving heads, wash lights, spotlights, scanners, to name a few. The imaged virtual light fixtures areideally suited for the black void illusion, but will also offer creativeopportunity for video imagery that is not in the perceived depth of ablack void. The virtual stage light beam 87 and the imaged virtual lightfixture are visible upon the image screen and display simultaneouslywith the image of a recorded person or a live transmitted image of aperson. The live transmitted person can be a videoconference with livetwo-way audio and video or in a live broadcast mode of use (alldescribed throughout the text). Further, light beam 87 may be aimed at,follow, and appear to fall upon and strike the object image 90. Varioustechniques for real-time or post production can create the illusion thatthe virtual light beam 87 appears to strike the object image 90. Theobject image 90 can be any video object including abstract forms,graphics and realistic images of real world objects such as virtuallyimaged stage props, scenery and backdrops.

The stage floor 52 may be integral with the retracting stage system 44or any type of stage. All embodiments described herein for theretracting stage system 44 need not be retracting for certainapplications. The stage floor 52 may function as a stage where peoplecan walk on it or be a prop floor with no intention to support people,props or equipment. In such as case the stage floor 52 is used tosupport the illusion of being a stage with floor to the audience. Thestage floor 52 is positioned at or near the bottom side of the imagescreen 43. It is to be expressly understood that bottom side of theimage screen 43 may be lower or higher than the stage floor 52. Thestage floor 52 is integral with any type of stage and that stage ispositioned at a bottom of the image screen 43 and that bottom being thebottom side of the image screen 43. The stage floor 52 may of any sizeincluding built into a small terminal, kiosk, portable pod, or simply isan actual room floor where the imaged conferee 68, or any otherdescribed imaged person herein, appears to stand, walk about and resideat. The image display 42 with its image screen 43 is vertically orientedsubstantially straight up, and is still vertically oriented if it is ata slant or a dimensional shape.

As described previously, the surrounding black mask 46 aids in the blackvoid illusion (FIG. 9 and throughout) since it expands the peripheralview of black surrounding the black-appearing image screen 43. The maskhides the edge of the image screen to create the continuous surface ofblack beyond the display. The mask extends beyond the perimeter of theimage screen 43 to whatever the application and configuration requires.For example, it may extend above, below, to the right and to the left ofthe image screen. It may also extend forward, such as a black stagefloor, a black ceiling, a black left wall, and a black right wall. Forexample, the stage floor 52, the stage ceiling 54, and the stage walls149 may be made of the same material as the surrounding black mask 46,creating an expanding depth of the black void. In some applications,such as some movie theater configurations, it is preferred to create a“cave” so the black masking 46 extends forward to the theater ceiling,left and right walls, and the stage floor which all will expand theexpanse and depth of the black void. The black mask may be made of anymaterial or paint. In movie theaters stretched black fabric can be madeoff-site in sections or stretched in venue. The floor may be any kind offloor such as a real theater stage floor, a black partially reflectivefloor, a prop scenery floor, a portable staging floor, a normal roomfloor and the like. In some applications of the black void illusion, theending point of the black mask may be noticeable to the observer. Forexample, the black void illusion may be built integral with a TV set ina kiosk. The surrounding black mask may be black glass that extends muchwider and taller than the actual TV screen creating a larger black voidto see objects and people in the expanded black void.

FIG. 9 illustrates, and elsewhere in this description, multiple imagesof objects, such as props, people, and light beams in the black void.These images of objects should not be cut off by the edge of the screen.Typical film making is the art of filling a rectangular window while theblack void illusion generally does not permit images to be cut off atthe edge of the top, left, and right perimeters of the display. Thebottom perimeter of the screen 43 (or where the stage floor isadjacently located) may cut off imaged objects since it is natural tohave objects resting and standing on a floor. Specifically, the imagedspeaker 68 may walk in front of the imaged volumetric object 90 or themagnification image 88 (not to be confused with the roll up center panel88 of FIG. 8) and when doing so may cast a reflection or shadow upon theobject 90 or the image 88. The object 90 and the image 88 can be anyobject and any image. The objects and images may be computer generatedwith computer generated reflections and shadows in real-time or inrecorded production. Also, they may be videotaped live or recorded andthereby inherently casts shadows and reflections. Likewise, the imagespeaker 68 (essentially a video object) may have shadows and reflectionscast upon their personage. Further, the imaged speaker 68 may be acostumed or animated character in any and all applications of allaspects the inventions described herein.

The imaged speaker 68, the image 88, and the object 90 may also cast ashadow or reflection upon a floor or forming a floor and seen in theimage screen 43, which maybe LED, projection or any display technology.Lastly, the image 88, the object 90, and the imaged speaker 68 may casta reflection on a physical floor, such as a stage floor; or a simulatedreflection or shadow can be simulated upon an imaged floor. With a stagefloor positioned adjacent to the image screen 43 and at or near thebottom of the screen 43, the floor may reflect the imaged speaker 68.The floor is ideally black, but may be other colors and with varyingdegrees of reflectivity. That floor reflection (or other floor color,pattern, shadow, etc.) may be further enhanced with an imaged floor onthe screen 43, creating a seamless real floor to imaged floor.

The reflection of the imaged speaker 68 upon a stage floor greatlyenhances the black void illusion. However, a reflection on a stage floormay be undesirable for some content, such as a movie. The movie wouldclearly be seen as a reflection and distract from the movie viewingexperience. To reduce the reflection upon the stage floor or any flooras seen by the observer, may be covered, angled, lowered or removed fromview. In a cinema during a hologram presentation mode, the stage floorwould be near or at the bottom of the image screen 43. In movie mode,the floor may be lowered to separate the reflection from the imagescreen 43. The stage floor may be lowered by any mechanical means, suchas rigid chain, worm screw, scissor lift, and the like. The lowering andraising mechanism may be motorized and initiated automatically by aprogrammed show control. That show control may be programmed withinitiating cues originating from a DCP (Digital Cinema Program).

The present invention of the black void illusion conceived in all itspossible applications includes the image source as being any type ofimage display. This includes all image displays commercially availableand not yet available. Numerous image display technologies have beenproposed and prototypes demonstrated, such as light field displays, toname only one, which are applicable to all the possible configurationsand embodiments of the present inventions. A further embodiment of thepresent invention is is a projection based image display that uses anytype of ambient light rejecting (ALR) projection screens in either rearand front projection in combination with the black void illusion. Inmovie theaters, where ambient light is controllable, black levels may besufficient to create an impressive black void illusion if the frontprojection screen is sufficiently dark. ALR front projection screens areone of several technologies that rejects ambient light from one or moredirections, improving the black levels of the image and thereby used tocreate the black void illusion. As seen in FIG. 16, the optional hangingsheet polarizer 159 is used to improve the contrast of the massive frontprojection screen 160 by darkening with alignment with the ambient lightpolarizers 156. This is one of many ALR technologies applicable to thepresent invention. Some ALR technologies incorporate micro-louvers toblack out unwanted ambient light from one or several directions. ALRscreens provide darker blacks levels for a given ambient lightenvironment over traditional white, silver, and other light coloredscreens. ALR screens also serve to reduce the wash out on the frontprojection screen when stage lights are used in the room.

A further embodiment of the present invention is to use black and ordark front projection screens, such as black cloth, textured blackplastic, and and other black screen substrates—all herein blackprojection screens as a type of the massive front projection screen 160(and any other front projection screen applications in various types ofrooms and products). To overcome the dim image of the black screen, thepresent invention teaches the use of projectors with increased lumens toform a bright image on the black screen. For example, multipleprojectors are used to impinge a black screen to increase the brightnessof the image. In a cinema, multiple digital movie projectors, laserprojectors, and so forth may be combined to form a single image. Laserprojectors and new ultra-black projectors such as those comprising lightsteered technology can all aid in maintaining a very bright image on theblack projection screen. Such system is capable of true HDR (HighDynamic Range) with black levels not possible with common projectionscreens. Further, the present invention teaches a novel use of two frontprojection screens in a single cinema. One front projection screen isany type of standard front projection screen that is removed, such as bymotorized roll up, revealing a second ALR or black front projectionscreen (not shown) (either screen or both screens may be physicallyremoved from the path of the projector(s). The projector(s) aimed at thescreens may be adjusted for each mode of use with more light impingingthe black screen and less light impinging the standard screen. Eachscreen may be designed with perforations for audio speaker transmission.Certainly all of the above applies to any application of the black voidillusion and includes rear projection as well with dark rear projectionscreens.

All of these variants of display technologies are applicable to theimage screen 43 and any other display and image screens describedherein. This includes any type of 3D display technologies that does anddoes not require glasses, such as light field displays. LED displaysthat require passive or active shutter glasses are all variants of thepresent invention and all descriptions, figures, and claims of imagescreens include such 3D variants and are applicable to the black voidillusion. For example, the image screen for some applications may be 2Dwith no glasses and some maybe 3D requiring glasses. Also, the blackvoid illusion may be used with 3D glasses showing a 2D or 3D image ofthe speaker 68 and then correct proportions or exaggerated 3D for sets,props, and scenes. Further, the imaged speaker 68 may be entirely in avirtual or real set and appear proportionally life-size on a massivedisplay simulating a real stage. Ideally, imaged speaker 68 would beimaged by an LED screen with passive or active glasses creating the 3Dstage environment.

As described herein the display wall side of the room 3 is a first wallof a room that the image screen 43 is positioned at and faces theaudience for observation. All configurations of the black void illusion,whether it is a massive system for a touring concert in an arena or asmall desktop display, the first display wall side of the room 3 isapplicable. As previously described, the large multipurpose room 2 maybe any kind of room or environment for any kind of human gatheringspace, not just a hotel meeting space. Further, the meeting roombackground 998 serves as a reference and is interchangeable with thedisplay wall side of the room 3 as well as other figures anddescriptions herein. The display wall side of the room 3, no matter whatthe room functions as (cinema, ballroom, meeting room, etc.), ispresented as a reference point to establish the physical space thesystem resides in to understand that the image screen 43 faces anaudience, a user, an observer, and the like. As such, the wall 3 may beany area behind the non-viewing side of the screen 43. Since most imagedisplays are planar and vertically oriented, the reference to theplacement in a physical space is sufficient. However, it is a primaryembodiment of the present invention that the image screen 43, and anyother described display and image screen herein, may be any dimensionalshape and not necessarily vertically oriented. The present invention inall of its applications should be understood that the first wall of thedisplay side wall of the room 3 may actually be the ceiling where theaudience looks upwards or even the floor where the audience looks down.

Dimensional shaped includes an image screen 43 that forms a dome inwhich the audience is partially or fully immersed inside the black voidillusion. With advances in dimensionally shaped LEDs and other directview display technologies, a dome may be constructed as a planetarium,concert venue, a theme park ride, a flying theme park ride, to name afew applications, and all may incorporate the black void illusion. Asinger/performer/speaker may be live on one side of the dome andsimultaneously also be seen as a live broadcast image on one or moresections of the dome in the black void illusion. Essentially, this dometheater enables multiple stages in the same dome with live, recorded,and broadcast performances. Further, black projection screens will alsoprovide the black void illusion. The image screen 43 may also bevertically oriented, yet also dimensionally shaped, forming a partial orfull circle around the audience or user. The display wall side of theroom 3 may also be the perimeter of an outdoor festival or concert venuein which the perimeter of the event space itself creates the wall 3 bythe placement of the image display 2 in the space. Lastly, the blackvoid illusion may have multiple sides and being a fully immersedenvironment where more than one wall is a black void illusion. Forexample, an LED display cube with two or more walls, floor, and ceilingcreates the black void illusion as described herein. Such application isideal for applications in theme parks, motion rides, museums, cinemas,music venues, and brand activation experiences.

FIG. 154 illustrates a further primary embodiment where the hotelmulti-purpose room 2 has a temporary audio and video production soundstage which is logically applicable to movie theaters instead of a hotelmulti-purpose room 2. A primary embodiment of the present invention is arapid studio conversion system utilizing a movie theater for watchingmovies in a first mode of use and for a temporary augmented realitystudio and video production sound stage in a second mode of use. All thedescriptions relevant to the hotel multi-purpose room 2 described as asound stage is applicable to a movie theater. An intent is to create aglobal network of augmented reality soundstages at movie theaters whichcan be used off hours from normal movie play times. Lighting may bepermanently mounted to the theater walls and ceiling and concealed tonot be noticeable by patrons when watching a movie. For creating imagesfor the augmented reality effect of the black void illusion, a cameramay capture a person against black or a chromakey screen and then selecta black background for playback. A removable substrate, such as a blacksubstrate or a chromakey substrate, is permanent in the theater andhidden from room by retracting into the walls, ceiling, or floor. Thesubstrate conceals the image screen 43 during productions and a camerapositioned on an audience side of theater is aimed toward the substratewith the talent (person being videotaped) being videotaped is betweenthe substrate and the camera. Alternatively, the image screen 43 can bea black or a chromakey color and the talent is positioned between thecamera and the image screen with the camera capturing the talent and theimage screen 43 together. This way, a soundstage for video and audiorecording can be deployed rapidly for productions. Exotic chromakeysystems such as ReflecMedia brand may be used. Lastly, LED cinemacreates new challenges for designing the walls and ceiling of the cinemawith or without the studio option. LED emits light and the walls andceiling of the cinema become illuminated which can draw an observer outof the movie experience. The present invention further conceives the useof light absorbing material and also louvered light traps to greatlyreduce the illuminated walls from the emitted light of the LED moviescreen.

Another embodiment of the present invention is to conceal the massiveimage display 42 and its image screen 43 (see FIGS. 4a and 4b andelsewhere) by actually imaging content on the image screen 43 thatmatches the large hotel multipurpose room 2 décor, and it is to beclearly understood that the image display 42 need not be massive and maycover a smaller portion of the wall, including TV sets positioned at awall and in rooms other than the hotel multipurpose room 2 (example in ahome living room). Careful attention to brightness, resolution, color,texture, and pattern of an image that matches the room 2 décor andspecifically the wall the display is positioned at, will conceal theintrusion of the image display 42 and image screen 43 in themulti-purpose room 2 (or any room). In a first mode of use a variety ofimage content can be viewed by the audience and any observer. In asecond mode of use the actual room wall décor has matching image décorcontent imaged upon the image screen to partially conceal the screen andcreating the illusion of a continuous décor wall in the room Smallercontent sections can be imaged in the matching décor image content tocreate unique ways to present information. The matching image décorcontent may be created by as simply as taking a photograph of the actualroom wall décor and played back and imaged as the matching image décorcontent. That photograph may also be a video and both may be imagemanipulated to create a realistic match. It is an embodiment of thepresent invention that an image of a videoconferencing participant issuperimposed in front of the matching décor image content creating theillusion that imaged participant is viewed by the observers to bestanding or seated with a continuous décor wall which is partially thereal décor wall and partially the matching imaged décor wall. The imageof participant may cast real or simulated reflections and shadows uponthe matching décor image content to add greater sense of realism anddepth.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations andmodifications of the just-described preferred embodiments can beconfigured without departing from the scope of the invention. Theillustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes ofexample and that should not be taken as limiting the invention.Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced other than as specificallydescribed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A display system, comprising: a verticallyoriented LED image display with an image screen in a room with a groupof observers, the image display positioned at a first wall of the roomwith the image screen facing the observers; a stage positioned at abottom of the image screen; and a virtual stage light beam visible uponthe image screen and displaying simultaneously at least one of the imageof a recorded person and a live transmitted image of a person.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprises a black continuous surface upon theimage screen presenting no visual reference point and therebyunrecognizable to the observers as an image screen.
 3. A display system,comprising: a vertically oriented LED image display with an image screenin a room with a group of observers, the image display positioned at afirst wall of the room with the image screen facing the observers; astage positioned at a bottom of the image screen; and a virtual stagelight beam visible upon the image screen.
 4. The system of claim 2,further comprises a black continuous surface upon the image screenpresenting no visual reference point and thereby unrecognizable to theobservers as an image screen.
 5. A display system, comprising: avertically oriented LED image display with an image screen in a roomwith a group of observers, the image display positioned at a first wallof the room with the image screen facing the observers; a stagepositioned at a bottom of the image screen; and a virtual stage lightbeam emanating from a virtual light fixture and both visible upon theimage screen.
 6. The system of claim 2, further comprises a blackcontinuous surface upon the image screen presenting no visual referencepoint and thereby unrecognizable to the observers as an image screen. 7.A display system, comprising: a vertically oriented LED image displaywith an image screen in a room with a group of observers, the imagedisplay positioned at a first wall of the room with the image screenfacing the observers; a stage positioned at a bottom of the imagescreen; and a virtual stage light beam visible upon the image screen,said virtual stage light beam is coordinated in a performance with atleast one of a real stage light and a plethora of real stage lights. 8.The system of claim 2, further comprises a black continuous surface uponthe image screen presenting no visual reference point and therebyunrecognizable to the observers as an image screen.
 9. A display system,comprising: a vertically oriented LED image display with an image screenin a room with a group of observers, the image display positioned at afirst wall of the room with the image screen facing the observers; astage positioned at a bottom of the image screen; and a virtual stagelight beam visible upon the image screen and the virtual stage lightbeam images an atmosphere in motion.
 10. The system of claim 2, furthercomprises a black continuous surface upon the image screen presenting novisual reference point and thereby unrecognizable to the observers as animage screen.
 11. A display system, comprising: a vertically orientedLED image display with an image screen in a room with a group ofobservers, the image display positioned at a first wall of the room withthe image screen facing the observers; a stage positioned at a bottom ofthe image screen; and a virtual stage light beam visible upon the imagescreen and that virtual stage light beam is animated in real-time andcontrolled by a lighting console for at least one of a live performanceand a recorded performance
 12. The system of claim 2, further comprisesa black continuous surface upon the image screen presenting no visualreference point and thereby unrecognizable to the observers as an imagescreen.
 13. A display system, comprising: a vertically oriented LEDimage display with an image screen in a room with a group of observers,the image display positioned at a first wall of the room with the imagescreen facing the observers; a stage positioned at a bottom of the imagescreen; and a virtual stage light fixture visible upon the image screenand that virtual stage light fixture is animated in real-time andcontrolled by a lighting console for at least one of a live performanceand a recorded performance.
 14. The system of claim 2, further comprisesa black continuous surface upon the image screen presenting no visualreference point and thereby unrecognizable to the observers as an imagescreen.
 15. A display system, comprising: a vertically oriented LEDimage display with an image screen in a room with a group of observers,the image display positioned at a first wall of the room with the imagescreen facing the observers; a stage positioned at a bottom of the imagescreen; and a virtual stage light beam visible upon the image screen andthat virtual stage light beam is aimed toward a bottom portion of theimage screen forming a pool of light upon an imaged stage floor.
 16. Thesystem of claim 2, further comprises a black continuous surface upon theimage screen presenting no visual reference point and therebyunrecognizable to the observers as an image screen.
 17. A displaysystem, comprising: a vertically oriented LED image display with animage screen in a room with a group of observers, the image displaypositioned at a first wall of the room with the image screen facing theobservers; a stage positioned at a bottom of the image screen; and avirtual stage light beam visible upon the image screen and at least oneof aimed toward an imaged person and aimed toward striking an imagedperson creating a luminous intensity upon the image person.
 18. Thesystem of claim 2, further comprises a black continuous surface upon theimage screen presenting no visual reference point and therebyunrecognizable to the observers as an image screen.
 19. A displaysystem, comprising: a vertically oriented LED image display with animage screen in a room with a group of observers, the image displaypositioned at a first wall of the room with the image screen facing theobservers; a stage positioned at a bottom of the image screen; a virtualstage light beam visible upon the image screen; and a black continuoussurface upon the image screen presenting no visual reference point andthereby unrecognizable to the observers as an image screen.